Digital Footprint - What it is and How to Manage It PDF

# Digital Footprint ## What is it and how can you manage it? A digital footprint is like a trail of information that we leave behind when we use the internet. It includes things like the websites we visit, the things we post on social media, and the messages we send. It's important to remember th...

# Digital Footprint ## What is it and how can you manage it? A digital footprint is like a trail of information that we leave behind when we use the internet. It includes things like the websites we visit, the things we post on social media, and the messages we send. It's important to remember that our digital footprint can be seen by others and can affect how people think of us, so it's important to be careful about what we do online. ## What is a digital footprint? Whenever you use the internet, you leave behind a trail of information known as your digital footprint. A digital footprint grows in many ways - for example, posting on social media, subscribing to a newsletter, leaving an online review, or shopping online. Sometimes, it's not always obvious that you are contributing to your digital footprint. For example, websites can track your activity by installing cookies on your device, and apps can collate your data without you knowing it. Once you allow an organization to access your information, they could sell or share your data with third parties. Worse still, your personal information could be comprised as part of a data breach. You often hear the terms 'active' and 'passive' in relation to digital footprints: ## Why is this important? It is important to understand how a digital footprint can affect your life. There are many negative sides to digital footprints. Things you have deleted are not actually deleted and can be retrieved by others. ## Your Digital Footprint A digital footprint is the trail of information that people leave online or using other communication devices. - Favorite apps - Websites visited - Messages sent - Videos downloaded - Pictures uploaded - Music downloaded - Games played - Comments posted What will your digital footprint look like? ## Why does digital footprint matter? - In this digital driven world, online reputation is as important as offline. A person's internet footprint often adds input to determining their reputation. - Potential employers may often check your electronic footprint before deciding to hire you - Cyber criminals may use your data to create false identities and perform ID theft attacks ## Why do digital footprints matter? - They are relatively permanent, and once the data is public - or even semi-public, as may be the case with Facebook posts - the owner has little control over how others will use it. - A digital footprint can determine a person's digital reputation, which is now considered as important as their offline reputation. - Employers can check their potential employees' digital footprints, particularly their social media, before making hiring decisions. Colleges and universities can check their prospective students' digital footprints before accepting them too. - Words and photos which you post online can be misinterpreted or altered, causing unintentional offense. - Content intended for a private group can spread to a broader circle, potentially damaging relationships and friendships. - Cybercriminals can exploit your digital footprint - using it for purposes such as phishing for account access or creating false identities based on your data. ## 10 Things to Know About Digital Footprints 1. When you search and interact online, a trail of info is left behind. 2. Elements of your digital footprints can be searched or shared. 3. Digital footprints can be helpful or harmful to your reputation both now and in the future. 4. Once online, things can exist forever (even if deleted). 5. Always think before you post online. 6. Personal information or opinions sent to one person can be shared with a larger audience. 7. Googling yourself can be a worthwhile exercise. 8. Old or inactive accounts should be disabled or deleted. 9. Keep personal details private and control the privacy settings on your accounts. 10. Be mindful of the digital footprints of others (e.g. Ask before tagging photos). ## 5 P's for a positive digital footprint - **Profile:** Only use your first name. Do not give out any personal information - **Permission:** Make sure you have permission to view and share information online. - **Privacy:** Keep your passwords and personal details private. - **Protect:** Keep evidence and don't bully back, tell an adult. - **Positive:** Make sure the information you share is positive. ## Active vs. Passive Digital Footprint - **Active:** - Social media posts - Online comments - Shopping preferences - Photos and videos - Location data - **Passive:** - Social security number - Tax records - IP address - Browsing history - Device information **Active digital footprints:** An active digital footprint is where the user has deliberately shared information about themselves - for example, through posting or participating on social networking sites or online forums. If a user is logged into a website through a registered username or profile, any posts they make form part of their active digital footprint. Other activities that contribute to active digital footprints include completing an online form - such as subscribing to a newsletter - or agreeing to accept cookies on your browser. **Passive digital footprints:** A passive digital footprint is created when information is collected about the user without them being aware that this is happening. For example, this occurs when websites collect information about how many times users visit, where they come from, and their IP address. This is a hidden process, which users may not realize is taking place. Other examples of passive footprints include social networking sites and advertisers using your likes, shares, and comments to profile you and target you with specific content. ## Digital footprint examples Some of the ways in which users add to their digital footprint include: **Online shopping:** - Making purchases from e-commerce websites - Signing up for coupons or creating an account - Downloading and using shopping apps - Registering for brand newsletters **Online banking:** - Using a mobile banking app - Buying or selling stocks - Subscribing to financial publications and blogs - Opening a credit card account **Social media:** - Using social media on your computer or devices - Logging into other websites using your social media credentials - Connecting with friends and contacts - Sharing information, data, and photos with your connections - Joining a dating site or app ## SMART rules to stay safe online - **Safe:** Keep safe by being careful not to give out personal information - such as your full name, email address, phone number, home address, photos or school name - to people you are chatting with online. - **Meeting:** Meeting someone you have only been in touch with online can be dangerous. Only do so with your parents' or carers' permission and even then only when they can be present. - **Accepting:** Accepting emails, IM messages, or opening files, pictures or texts from people you don't know or trust can lead to problems - they may contain viruses or nasty messages! - **Reliable:** Information you find on the internet may not be true, or someone online may be lying about who they are. - **Tell:** Tell your parent, carer or a trusted adult if someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried, or if you or someone you know is being bullied online. ## Manage your digital footprint - **Double-check your privacy settings:** Privacy settings on social media allow you to control who sees your posts. Review these settings and ensure they are set to a level you are comfortable with. For example, Facebook allows you to limit posts to friends and make customized lists of people who can see certain posts. However, bear in mind that privacy settings only protect you on the relevant social media site. - **Avoid oversharing on social media:** Social media makes it easy to connect with others but can also make oversharing easy. Think twice before revealing your location or travel plans, or other personal information. Avoid disclosing your phone number or email address in your social media. - **Avoid unsafe websites:** Make sure you're transacting with a secure website - the URL should start with https:// rather than http:// - the “s” stands for “secure” and indicates that the site has a security certificate. There should also be a padlock icon to the left of the address bar. Never share any confidential information on unsecured sites, especially payment details. - **Avoid disclosing private data on public Wi-Fi:** A public Wi-Fi network is inherently less secure than your personal one since you don't know who set it up or who else might be watching. Avoid sending personal information when using public Wi-Fi networks. - **Delete old accounts:** One way to reduce your digital footprint is by deleting old accounts - for example, social media profiles you no longer use or newsletter subscriptions you no longer read. Getting rid of dormant accounts minimizes your exposure to potential data breaches. - **Keep software up to date:** Outdated software could house a wealth of digital footprints. Without the latest updates, cybercriminals could gain access to this information. Cybercriminals can easily access a victim's devices and data by exploiting vulnerabilities in software. You can help prevent this by keeping your software up to date. Older software can be more vulnerable to attacks by hackers. - **Review your mobile use:** Set a passcode for your mobile device so that it can't be accessed by other people if you lose it. When installing an app, read the user agreement. Many apps disclose what kind of information they collect and what it may be used for. These apps may mine personal data like your email, location, and online activities. Check that you are comfortable with the information being shared before you use the app. - **Think before you post:** What you post or say online sends a message about who you are, as does what others reveal about you. Aspects of your digital footprint, such as uploaded photographs, blog comments, YouTube videos, and Facebook posts, might not portray the way you would like to be seen. Create a positive digital footprint by posting only those things that contribute to the image of you that you want others to see. - **Create strong passwords and use a password manager:** A strong password will help you maintain internet security. A strong password is long - made up of at least 12 characters and ideally more - and contains a mix of upper- and lower-case letters plus symbols and numbers. The more complex and involved your password, the harder it is to crack. Using a password manager will help generate, store, and manage all your passwords in one secure online account. Keep your passwords private - avoid sharing them with others or writing them down. Try to avoid using the same password for all your accounts, and remember to change them regularly. - **Don't log in with Facebook:** Logging into websites and apps using Facebook is convenient. However, every time you sign into a third-party website using your Facebook credentials, you give that company permission to mine your Facebook user data - potentially placing your personal information at risk. ## Positive Digital Citizen Footprint Word Search Puzzle **Words:** - COMMUNICATE - DOWNLOAD - FRIENDSHIP - HISTORY - INTERNET - KINDNESS - LEARN - LISTEN - MANNERS - MESSAGE - MUSIC - ONLINE - PASSWORD - PERSONAL - PHOTO - POSITIVE - POST - PRIVATE - PROFILE - READ - REPORT - RESPECT - SAFETY - SEARCH - TALK - TEXT - WEBSITES The words appear UP, DOWN, SIDEWAYS, BACKWARDS, and DIAGONALLY. Find and circle each word.