{"id":25185,"date":"2021-09-15T12:22:41","date_gmt":"2021-09-15T20:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=25185"},"modified":"2022-04-13T12:23:01","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T20:23:01","slug":"is-your-online-identity-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/is-your-online-identity-safe\/","title":{"rendered":"How Secure Is Your Online Identity? The Answer Might Alarm You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cWho am I, really?\u201d is a question philosophers have wrestled with for thousands of years.  In a practical way it\u2019s also a very modern question:  Your electronic presence and activities add up to an entire online identity, or \u201cdigital footprint<\/a>.\u201d  That online identity isn\u2019t exactly<\/em> the same person you are, but everyone from giant tech corporations to shady scam artists will try to leverage it in ways that affect your real-world well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could think of your online identity as being like a shadow.  It\u2019s a (somewhat) distorted representation that follows you around, which tells observers enough real things about you to be useful.  Keeping your online identity safe from ill-intentioned eyes requires some work and vigilance on your part, but you can (and arguably should) keep your digital \u201cshadow\u201d as small and well-guarded as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Your Online Identity Is Constructed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s an exercise to try:  Open your browser history right now, and look at how many sites you\u2019ve visited in the last week (the shortcut is Ctrl-H in Chrome or Ctrl-Shift-H in Firefox, or use the browser menu in Android or iOS).  It probably runs into the hundreds, and that\u2019s not counting the interactions you\u2019ve had with the various apps on your devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every one of those sites, and every one of those interactions, creates a record.  That\u2019s actually an understatement; if you click through the Cookie Policy and Privacy Statement links on most sites you\u2019ll see that they may share their visitors\u2019 data with hundreds<\/em> of partners.  Now imagine you\u2019ve made a purchase through a \u201cmarketplace seller\u201d on Amazon:  The vendor sees your name and address; Amazon sees the same; your bank or credit card provider sees a transaction; the delivery company gets your name and address; and all of that is recorded somewhere. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So are more traditional records, from property ownership to births and deaths, marriages and divorces.  Those are digitized now and kept on electronic databases, where some information requires secure (or paid) access, but some is publicly visible.  Taken together, these commonplace pieces of information can create a surprisingly detailed picture of your life and habits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some Deeper Contributors to Your Online Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the late-night infomercials are fond of saying, \u201cBut wait!  There\u2019s more!\u201d  Most of us carry a phone everywhere we go, and many of us wear a smartwatch or fitness band as well.  Those devices are filled with sensors including altimeters, accelerometers and GPS, which monitor where you are and what you\u2019re doing in real time.  Phones are always in contact with cellular towers and exchange \u201chandshaking\u201d data with any wireless networks that come within range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taken together, that information can help identify you and pinpoint your location even if it has been \u201canonymized\u201d to meet privacy standards.  Your phone carrier has access to much of that information; Google and Apple see it through your phone\u2019s operating system; and the developers of your apps may have access to a lot of it as well (have you checked the permissions on all<\/em> of your installed apps?  No?  Didn\u2019t think so\u2026). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are less obvious contributors to your online identity, though in some ways they\u2019re more revealing than the ones you\u2019d normally think of.  Remember, these are just the details you generate through normal day-to-day life.  We haven\u2019t even gotten<\/em> to the dicey parts, yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Information You Volunteer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now think about the information you share voluntarily on social media or special-interest forums.  How long would it take for someone following you on social media to figure out your mom\u2019s maiden name, your birth date, your first pet\u2019s name or answers to any of the other common identity verification questions?  If you\u2019ve mostly nodded and shrugged up to this point, that question should make you stop and think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photos you post tell a lot about you, too.  Unless you tweak your settings and tell it not to, your phone (and some stand-alone cameras) will embed a timestamp and GPS location as part of the data in every picture.  They\u2019ll tell anyone who\u2019s interested not just what you (and your kids, your parents and your pets) look like, but exactly where you were and when you were there.  You don\u2019t need to be especially paranoid to find that disconcerting and worrisome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, every place you set up a \u201cfree account\u201d or \u201cfree membership\u201d to access content or make purchases asks for some of your personal information, whether or not you subsequently use the site or buy from them.  All of these information sources \u2014 taken together \u2014 say a lot about you, and sometimes that information can be misconstrued or misused to your detriment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Algorithmic \u201cBlack Box\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a popular joke that says, \u201cTo err is human…to really<\/em> screw up requires a computer.\u201d  It\u2019s true, to an extent:  At root, it\u2019s still human error, because computers are only as good as the humans creating and programming them.  From a cynic\u2019s perspective, computers just help us make bigger mistakes and do it more quickly.  That\u2019s alarming when you realize that computers aren\u2019t just collecting and collating our data \u2014 increasingly they\u2019re making decisions about us<\/a> based on the data they\u2019ve collected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Machine learning and AI in general are among the hottest priorities in the business world right now.  Companies are beginning to use these tools to decide who gets hired, who gets health coverage, who qualifies for a loan, and many other things that used to be decided by humans.  The problem is that the algorithms can create unexpected and undesirable results because of errors or unconscious biases coded into them.  Amazon experimented with an algorithm to remove bias from the hiring process, for example, which famously backfired<\/a> and increased it.  Similar flaws have turned up in algorithms for facial recognition<\/a> and loans<\/a>, among others.  If you\u2019ve been told recently that you \u201cdon\u2019t fit the profile we\u2019re looking for,\u201d this might be why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…And so far, we\u2019ve only talked about the legitimate<\/em> collection and use of your data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Your Online Identity Is Compromised<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At home you have locks on your doors, blinds over your windows and possibly an alarm system or \u201csmart\u201d internet-connected cameras to record intruders.  You may have a hiding place for your checkbook and your good jewelry, and perhaps lock away valuables in a safe or safe deposit box.  You probably screen your phone calls as well, and exercise some degree of control over who enters your home or your yard.  Yet many people don\u2019t have nearly the same concern for their online security, on the basis that, \u201cI have nothing to hide.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The truth is that keeping your online identity safe is much, much more important than locking your doors.  Most TVs, phones or computers could be replaced for $1,000 or less, but someone stealing your identity online could max out your credit, or take your entire life\u2019s savings, in a relative heartbeat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want a sobering reality check?  Spend a few minutes reading the FTC\u2019s consumer fraud blog<\/a> or browsing the Better Business Bureau\u2019s Scam Tracker database<\/a> or the FBI\u2019s annual Internet Crime Report<\/a>.  It\u2019s best not to do this during your work week, because you might not sleep very well for the next few nights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs To Watch For<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are literally thousands of ways your identity might be compromised, from a hack<\/a> (or just plain bad security<\/a>) at a website to phishing attacks<\/a> or phone scams<\/a> and more.  However it happens, there are a number of fairly consistent signs<\/a> that can tell you you\u2019ve got a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of them aren\u2019t exactly rocket science:  Unexplained charges on your credit card or bank statements, weird fluctuations in your credit score, credit applications or insurance claims being inexplicably refused and so on.  As with cancer, early detection is critical to minimize the damage from identity theft.  Keeping a diligent eye on your accounts certainly helps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also proactively take steps to protect your online identity.  One is by making use of the dark web monitoring<\/a> that\u2019s included with select Spokeo subscriptions.  The so-called dark web is the sketchy side of the internet where stolen identities are bought and sold, so knowing that your information is for sale\u2014- before<\/em> it\u2019s misused by scammers \u2014 is a priceless heads-up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How To Protect Your Online Identity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several other common-sense steps you can take to protect your online identity and reduce your digital footprint<\/a>.  A logical starting point is using Spokeo\u2019s people search tools<\/a> to search your own name, address, phone number and email, to get a feel for exactly how much information you have exposed.  Doing this can guide your next steps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start by closing out your forgotten accounts at services you seldom use or have outgrown, including (and especially) your old social media platforms.  Download or screenshot anything that\u2019s still meaningful, delete the rest and close your accounts.  Set your remaining social media accounts to be viewable only by friends or followers<\/a>, to the extent it\u2019s practical for you.  Set your phone camera to not tag your pictures with date and time data (the U.S. military\u2019s Special Operations Command, which takes security pretty seriously, has an excellent guide<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s even a chance that your information is already circulating \u201cin the wild,\u201d you should also consider placing a credit freeze or fraud alert<\/a> at each of the credit reporting agencies, and perhaps set up an identity protection PIN<\/a> with the IRS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Establishing Security-Conscious Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately your best defense is simply to develop a security-conscious mindset.  When you visit a site, take a moment to view the cookie policy and opt out, whenever possible.  Use your browser\u2019s \u201cPrivate\u201d or \u201cIncognito\u201d mode, or tweak the browser\u2019s settings (or add extensions) to block trackers and restrict cookie use.  Use strong passwords, and don\u2019t use your browser to store them (there are lots of good password management apps out there).  Instead of using texts to authorize two-factor logins, use your phone\u2019s biometric scanners (or better yet, a third-party hardware key<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the time to secure your home network<\/a> as well, so you\u2019re not a sitting duck for any scammer that happens to pass through your neighborhood.  If you\u2019ve got the skills, or have someone in your home that does, you might also consider keeping your online life private by using a VPN<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Your Online Identity Safe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re concerned that your online identity is at risk, there are several ways to safeguard against threats. Change your social privacy settings, use strong passwords and regularly create new ones, among other helpful tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n