It’s hard for a person to walk on sand and not leave a mark. Even if you smooth over the footprints behind you, there will always be signs at the most granular level that you left an impact. The identification could be as minute as the DNA from dead skin cells or as large as the tread pattern on your shoes.
Similarly, every online activity leaves a trace or digital footprint. In this article we'll look at what a digital footprint is for individuals and organizations (and why it matters), along with:
- Types of footprints, such as active and passive
- Security risks and how to mitigate them
- Best practices for managing your online activity
What Is a Digital Footprint?
Definition of a digital footprint
A digital footprint, sometimes called a “digital shadow,” is the unique data that a person or business leaves when using the web. This encompasses everything from the cookies or tracking code websites use for visitors to filling out forms online.
Importance of a digital footprint
Your online footprint helps legitimate companies identify you, with or without tracking cookies. The data, no matter how small or anonymous, is how companies build your unique data profile. While this may seem voyeuristic, there are also benefits.
One advantage of companies learning your data profile is to provide better customer service and targeted marketing. Companies can give you personalized, dynamic content when they can connect your current activities with previous ones. The content could be products you like or saving a shopping cart from a prior session.
Another is providing secure transactions. Companies may use authentication to verify your transactions when you purchase something.
Finally, digital footprints can ensure compliance. For example, any business dealing with customers in the European Union must abide by the GDPR regarding data collection, management, and sharing. Comparably, a hospital can find out if a staff member violated HIPAA by complaining about a patient online.
Components of a digital footprint
A footprint includes any identifying data. At the individual level, this may mean an IP address, geolocation, or password and login information. At the company level, this means all of the company’s public and private Internet-based activities, content, and assets, including websites, confidential databases, and web-based devices.
Types of Digital Footprints
Active and passive digital footprints
Active digital footprints contain all the data, assets, and activity a company controls directly. These consist of things like:
- Public branded content, including websites, social media, advertising, etc.
- Any company-owned data, whether it’s IP, financial, or customer records.
- Apps and services, including customer-facing ones.
- Any hardware or software on the company network, including email accounts, employee-owned devices, and cloud apps, is included in this category.
Passive digital footprints include activity, data, and assets that connect to the company but are not under its direct control. Passive footprints include:
- Third-party and vendor software packages, activities, and assets.
- Apps and devices that connect to the company’s network without IT’s direct approval. Another name for these are “shadow IT” assets.
- Dormant or abandoned IT assets such as old social media or obsolete software.
- Malicious entities that threat actors create to harm the company. They include stolen data on the dark web or fake websites.
- Content about the company that outside people produce, like news articles and customer reviews.
Online tracking and data collection
Tracking activities happen whether you’re consciously using a site or not. For example, servers and administrators log an IP address every time you join the internet, and for many users, the IP addresses don’t change. Data like your operating system, browser, and hardware processing also contributes to your data profile.
Cookies leave a bit of code for sites to remember you for future visits. Companies often ask users to accept cookies to permissibly collect, use, and store the user data on that website. Users can decline cookies, but their experience on the site may not be as good.
Other ways companies track you is if you sign up for a newsletter or make a purchase online. Read the company’s privacy policies to determine how they govern data collection and sharing. Once you’ve consented, it’s hard to restrict how much of your information the company can gather and share.
Social media footprints
Social media's reach and response capabilities make you easily findable. Actions like logging into social media on different devices or using your social media credentials to log into other websites amplify your digital traceability. Others may be able to view your friends and contacts. People also share personal information through photos and tagging people and locations.
Does that mean you have to deactivate your Facebook account? No. Social media and other online channels are too omnipresent to ignore. The key is to be mindful of how companies may store and share your data and how you can manage their access to your information.
Managing Your Digital Footprint
Privacy settings and permissions
Be judicious with your privacy settings and what you allow from other websites. Whenever you provide personal information to an organization, you broaden your digital footprint. Check if you can access an organization’s resources without sharing your data. It’s tempting to ignore the warnings of less secure public WiFi but avoid sharing private information on these networks.
Keep your current technology up to date since hackers can easily penetrate older software and programs. Delete old websites, services, and applications you no longer use. For social media, make your accounts private or double-check their privacy. Reduce the number of sources that have your information.
Controlling online presence
Being conscientious of what you do and say online helps your digital footprint. Avoid oversharing, whether it’s through commentary, photos, or articles. Don’t give your phone number or address on social media. Avoid ‘liking’ organizations’ Facebook pages (like your bank or pharmacy) to reduce the chances of a hacker targeting your data.
Data protection and security
Security software and solutions can provide the frequency, depth, and breadth of protection you need. Data loss prevention tools quell breaches long before they start. Threat management tools monitor and secure Internet-facing touchpoints. There is also technology that protects your identity and manages access across different channels and devices.
Implications of Digital Footprints
Impact on personal and professional life
Your digital activity may affect both your personal and professional life. Many personal relationships have ended over controversial digital comments. Sharing your location is a privacy risk. A questionable photo may concern current and prospective employers.
Cybersecurity risks and threats
A company’s digital footprint can make it susceptible to cyber attacks. The larger the footprint, the more vulnerable it is. An enterprise may connect multiple devices per user to its network, increasing its attack surface. Vendor activity adds more complexity.
Hackers can also use employee personal information to surpass a network’s security. They can launch ransomware or create phishing attacks that trick employees into giving personal details.
Reputation management
An organization’s electronic footprint is foundational to the brand’s overall reputation online and offline. This includes content, news, and customer reviews.
There are many ways to get customer feedback directly from the source. One angry Google review could put off ten prospective customers. Unanswered social media messages and low-quality websites reflect poorly on your brand.
One of the most significant ways a company can sink its reputation is by unlawfully sharing customer data or cloaking how it collects and disseminates it. TikTok is one of the most prominent examples of a company under fire for how it provides access to sensitive data. While it’s impossible to govern every piece of data, companies can bring on new people and implement new processes for collecting, sharing, and governing data.
Protecting Your Digital Footprint
Secure password management
Employees should avoid using the same password across different channels for a long period of time. Passwords are one of the easiest entry points for hackers and cybercriminals. Some organizations have security measures requiring users to change their passwords after certain periods.
A strong password should contain at least 12 characters, including letters, numbers, and symbols, making guessing harder. A password manager helps generate, store, and protect all of your passwords. Keep them private and change them regularly to protect your electronic footprint.
Two-factor authentication
While it’s slightly more time-consuming, two-factor authentication provides more layers of protection. While a hacker can access one password on a desktop, mobile verification is another barrier for a criminal.
Using VPNs for online privacy
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) masks your IP address, making your digital activity nearly untraceable. This prevents websites from releasing cookies that track your online actions.
Educational Resources on Digital Footprints
Best practices for digital footprint management
Organizations like the Data Protection Commission guide on data protection basics and individual rights. Harvard University and Coursera also offer data security and protection courses.
Online privacy guides and tools
A variety of privacy guides can be found online, from universities to government organizations, to help you keep tabs on your data privacy and digital footprint.
Digital literacy and responsible Internet use
The GDPR sets the standards for how organizations process, regulate, and share data. Organizations like DigitalLearn.org, Microsoft, and Coda have programs and courses on improving digital literacy and responsible online behavior.
It’s difficult to eliminate every trace of your digital activity in the same way that you can’t rearrange every grain of sand after you walk on the beach. However, proactive, ongoing oversight reduces risk and guards your privacy. Staying aware and educating yourself on how to manage your digital footprint sets you up for secure, positive online experiences.
Protect your business’s identity with LastPass. Start your trial here.
FAQ
What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is the trail of data you leave behind after accessing websites or surfing the web. This can include tracking cookies (or information a business collects about your browsing and purchasing habits) and social media posts that reveal your connections, location, interests, and professional accomplishments.
Who can see my digital footprint?
Anyone can see your digital footprint, including past and present employers, businesses, hackers, relatives, friends, and work colleagues.
Can a digital footprint be deleted?
It's impossible to completely delete a digital footprint. However, you can take steps to reduce your digital footprint, such as:
- Deleting websites, services, or apps you no longer use
- Consenting to minimal collection of your data when accessing websites
- Resisting the temptation to overshare on social media platforms
- Changing privacy settings to limit who can see your social media content
- Using a password manager like LastPass to categorize your accounts, so you can identify sites, services, and apps you no longer use
