Once information is online, sometimes it can be impossible to remove.
Therefore you should be conscientious of your visible online presence known as your digital footprint, as criminals and fraudsters may utilize this information against you in various ways. The more information out there, the more information that is accessible for social engineering and ID theft scams. Additionally, this content may be accessed at some point by an outside source doing an assessment of you, whether it be for college admissions or a new job.
Be cautious of what you post online and take the following steps below to manage your digital footprint!
Recommendations:
Map your digital footprint. Look at all the social networking sites and forums that you belong to and search what information about you is available.
Clean up your digital footprint. Remove any photos, content and links that may be inappropriate or reveal too much information.
Be selective about who you authorize to access your information.
Use the privacy features of your browser and of the various websites you frequent to reduce the visibility of your information.
Since many comments on public websites can be publicly seen, monitor and moderate comments associated with you to maintain a positive digital footprint.
Consider using the "block comments" features or setting your social networking profile to "private" so only designated individuals can view it.
Think before you post.
For More Information:
MS-ISAC Newsletter on Managing Your Digital Footprint: http://msisac.cisecurity.org/newsletters/2012-07.cfm
MaximumPC: How To Erase Your Digital Footprint: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/how_erase_your_digital_footprint
Washington Post: Beware of Privacy Policies: Time to Clean Up YourDigital Footprint: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/beware-of-privacy-policies-time-to-hide-your-digital-footprint/2012/01/31/gIQADI7PnQ_story.html