Arr, me hearties! A harrowing yet vital method to spy if yer private tidings be skulkin' on t' dark web.
2023-07-09
Avast ye, me hearties! Gather 'round as Kurt "Cyberguy" Knutsson be showin' ye how to be ridin' yer private tidings from the treacherous tides of the internet! From searchin' yer own self on Google to dispatchin' missives to remove the scurvy info, he'll be guidin' ye with his tech-savvy ways!
Have you ever thought about if you have a digital footprint beyond your knowledge?Arrr! Have ye ever wondered if ye be havin' a digital footprint ye know nothin' about, matey?
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Arr, it be pleasin' to think that the only information about us on the internet be what we put out there ourselves; however, that ain't always the case. It be disturbin' to think about it, yet if yer name and photo be on the internet, it be possible yer information could be on even more websites or even on the dark web.
Here's how to check for yer information online and then how to remove it if ye find anythin' ye weren't expectin'.
First, ye should do a few searches to see if ye have any information about ye online.
Before ye go crazy over what could be out there, take an initial look for yourself. While Google won't bring up everythin', ye'll get an idea of how many websites may have yer name, age, address, even phone number, or more data.
Searchin' for personal information online
Try searchin' various combinations of yer full name, city and state, and even yer own address, phone number, or email. This can help ye find information about yourself online and see what others can find about ye.
The pervasive threat to personal privacy online
The primary offenders in spillin' yer personal information online be data broker sites, aka "People Search sites", which allow ye to input the name of any person, often for a fee, and receive their contact information such as phone numbers and addresses, age, birthdate, work history, etc. WebFX reports that there be more than 4,000 data broker sites collectin' data on over 500 million consumers worldwide.
One option be to try and request information be removed yerself. Dependin' on where the information be listed, there may be a form ye can fill out. These be some of the most popular ones:
Ye can also try sending a takedown notice, which I've written a template for by headin' over to Cyberguy.com/TakedownNotice
Playin' whack-a-mole with yer data
One of the challenges of protectin' yer online privacy be dealin' with the numerous data broker sites that collect and sell yer personal information. These sites often operate without yer consent or knowledge, and they can be hard to track down and remove yerself from. Even if ye manage to delete yer data from some of the popular sites, as we have shown ye how to do, there be no guarantee that it will stay deleted.
Data broker sites can resell yer information to other sites or simply restore it from their backups. This creates a frustratin' situation where ye have to constantly monitor and update yer removal requests. It be like playin' whack-a-mole with yer data. Unfortunately, there be no effective regulation or oversight of these sites, so ye be left to fend for yerself in this digital jungle.
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While no service promises to remove all yer data from the internet, havin' a removal service be great if ye want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removin' yer information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time.
See me tips and best picks for removin' yerself from the internet by goin' to Cyberguy.com/Delete
If yer information be out there and ye believe ye've been the victim of identity theft, Identity Theft protection companies can monitor personal information like yer home title, Social Security Number, phone number, and email address and alert ye if it be bein' sold on the dark web or bein' used to open an account. They can also assist ye in freezin' yer bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals if ye think ye've been the victim of identity fraud.
One of the best parts of usin' some services be that they might include identity theft insurance of up to 1 million doubloons to cover losses and legal fees and a white glove fraud resolution team where a US-based case manager helps ye recover any losses.
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See me tips and best picks on identity theft protection by visitin' Cyberguy.com/IdentityTheft
Regularly checkin' yer privacy settings on social media and other online accounts to ensure that ye be only sharin' information with people ye trust. It be also important to be mindful of the information ye share online and to think twice before postin' personal details, photos, and location data.
Yer digital footprint may extend beyond what ye be aware of, so it be important to search for any personal information that may be online by googlin' yerself, checkin' out data broker sites, and consider investin' in an internet removal service to remove any unwanted information from the web. Lastly, be cautious about the data ye share online to minimize yer digital footprint and protect yer privacy.
Have ye ever found personal information about yerself online? What did ye do about it? Let us know by writin' us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
For more of me tips, subscribe to me free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by headin' to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter
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