With the internet and social media, it can be difficult to avoid sharing personal information online. Having an online presence can be valuable, but sometimes sharing personal information is risky. If you want to know what information about you is online, Google yourself.
Your Search Results
If you Google your name, you may find public information about yourself that you did not expect to see, such as your phone number, email address, or home address. Some information is available online through government agencies, while data brokers post other information. Data brokers are organizations that collect and sell information.
Cybercriminal Scams
Cybercriminals can use your public information in phishing attacks to try and scam you. They often use specific details to make their phishing attacks appear more legitimate. For example, if your home address is publicly available online, cybercriminals can use it in delivery scams. For such scams, cybercriminals will send you a phishing email about a package delivery with your correct address. This email will prompt you to click a link that appears legitimate but is actually malicious.
What Can I Do to Stay Safe?
Follow the tips below to stay safe online:
- Be careful about what you post online. Cybercriminals could use information from your posts in a phishing attack.
- Google yourself often and remove information you do not want cybercriminals to know. Social media apps will let you customize your account’s visibility. Here are some resources on how to control what information you share on popular social media apps: