DIGITAL

FOOTPRINTS
What are Digital
Footprints?
A digital footprint refers to the trail of
data you leave when using the internet.
It includes websites you visit, emails you
send, and information you submit online.
A digital footprint can be used to track a
person's online activities and devices.
These footprints can be made with or
without your knowledge.
 Active and Passive
Digital Footprints

Passive
Active
An active digital footprint is where the A passive digital footprint is created when
information is collected about the user
user has deliberately shared information
without them being aware that this is
about themselves – for example, through
happening. For example, this occurs when
posting or participating on social
websites collect information about how
networking sites or online forums,
many times users visit, where they come
subscribing to a newsletter or agreeing to
from, and their IP address. This is a hidden
accept cookies on your browser.
process, which users may not realize is
taking place.
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.
For these reasons, it is worth considering what your digital footprint says about you. Many people try to
manage their digital footprint by being cautious about their online activities to control the data that
can be gathered in the first place.
 Where are our
Footprints Stored?
On examining the browser settings, we
can find out how it stores our browsing
history, cookies, passwords, auto fills,
and many other types of data. Besides
browser, most of our digital footprints
are stored in servers where the
applications are hosted. We may not
have access to remove or erase that
data, neither do we have any control on
how that data will be used.
What can we do about these?

Once a data trail is generated, even if we later try

to erase data about our online activities, the
digital footprints still remain. There is no
guarantee that digital footprints will be fully
eliminated from the Internet.
 Precautions we can take
Reduce the number of information Delete old accounts
01 sources that mention you
04 Getting rid of dormant accounts minimizes your
the less number of sites that mentions you, the exposure to potential data breaches.
lesser the amount of data generated

Limit the amount of data you share Think before you post
02 You wont have any footprint if you don’t have any 04 What you post or say online sends a message about
data. who you are, as does what others reveal about you.

Avoid unsafe websites Use a VPN

03 do i have to explain that? 04 A VPN mask your IP address which makes your online
only use https websites. actions virtually untraceable.
Thank You