On the Internet there are many types of attacks and threats that can compromise our privacy. One of them is what is known as Doxing . It consists of a hacker going to collect personal data, something that has great value today, and publish it on the Internet. Normally the hacker will carry out a preliminary work to be able to obtain that information and get to extort money. This makes it essential to be protected.
How to know if we are protected against Doxing
Cybercriminals are going to have different methods to steal that data . Sometimes they will use some kind of malware, Phishing attack or the like. On other occasions, it is the users themselves, the victims in short, who are going to make mistakes that will leave all that information on a platter.
That is why it is essential to avoid Doxing. But, as we have mentioned, sometimes errors appear without us noticing. We are going to see which are the main ones and in this way be able to avoid them and always keep security properly protected.
Using unprotected public Wi-Fi networks
Undoubtedly one of the most important mistakes is using a public Wi-Fi without being protected. We speak for example of places like a shopping center, train station or airport. They are spaces where cybercriminals can create a network to deceive users and thus obtain personal data.
In case we are going to connect, the main advice is to use a VPN. In this way our connection will be encrypted and we will avoid problems that may affect us. Of course, we also recommend avoiding making a payment or putting important personal data.
Post public information on the Internet
It is another of the mistakes that many users commit unconsciously. It usually happens when we post on an open forum or website . There we can put personal data without realizing it and they are available to anyone. We are not only talking about a person entering and seeing what we have put, but also the bots that are responsible for tracking this public information and later it can be used for Doxing attacks and the like. There are many threats on the net.
Open social networks
Social networks are widely used services to keep in touch with friends and family. They offer a wide range of options and there are many types. However, a very important factor that we must take into account is privacy.
Normally, services such as Facebook or Instagram will allow users to configure certain factors related to privacy. This can help prevent data from being available. A mistake that favors Doxing is having the profiles open.
Keep accounts on old pages or programs
Surely on some occasion we have registered on a web page or when using an application and we leave it in oblivion. It is something that we use for a while but later it is no longer part of our day to day.
However, it must be borne in mind that we may leave personal data there. Maybe even that platform has become obsolete and now has vulnerabilities that can be exploited by third parties. This makes it interesting to avoid that our data is left in forgotten services.
Expose personal email address
Another very typical mistake is to publish your personal email address or our phone number. They are two factors in high demand by hackers. They can use them to launch Phishing attacks and other threats. It would be a mistake in order to be protected against Doxing.
In short, these are some of the main errors that could compromise us. We must always take care of our data, avoid privacy problems and make Internet browsing as reliable as possible.