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CyberProtection

Managing Your Digital Presence

Your digital presence is everything about you that exists online. Managing it protects your privacy and reduces your risk of being targeted by scammers.

Why Your Digital Presence Matters

Section titled “Why Your Digital Presence Matters”

Scammers use publicly available information to:

  • Craft convincing personalized scam messages
  • Answer your security questions
  • Impersonate you on social media
  • Target your family members using information about you

Step 1: Google Yourself

Section titled “Step 1: Google Yourself”

Start by understanding what’s already out there:

  1. Open an incognito/private browser window
  2. Search for your full name in quotes: "Your Full Name"
  3. Search with your phone number: +91 XXXXXXXXXX
  4. Search with your email address
  5. Search for your name + city: "Your Name" Mumbai

Note everything that comes up - we’ll work on reducing this.

Step 2: Social Media Privacy Audit

Section titled “Step 2: Social Media Privacy Audit”

Facebook

Section titled “Facebook”
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy
  2. Set “Who can see your future posts” to Friends
  3. Use “Limit Past Posts” to restrict old public posts
  4. Review “Profile and Tagging” settings

Hide sensitive information:

  • Birthday (scammers use this for identity theft)
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Location/Check-ins

Instagram

Section titled “Instagram”
  1. Go to Settings > Privacy
  2. Set account to Private
  3. Disable “Activity Status”
  4. Review “Story” and “Reels” privacy settings

LinkedIn

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  1. Go to Settings > Visibility
  2. Control who can see your connections
  3. Hide your email address
  4. Be careful with your work history (used for business email compromise scams)

Twitter/X

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  1. Go to Settings > Privacy and Safety
  2. Protect your tweets if needed
  3. Disable location information
  4. Review what apps have access

Step 3: Remove Yourself from Data Brokers

Section titled “Step 3: Remove Yourself from Data Brokers”

Several websites collect and sell your personal information. Request removal from:

Indian Data Sources:

Section titled “Indian Data Sources:”
  • Truecaller: Open app > Profile > Unlist from search
  • JustDial: Call customer care to delist
  • Sulekha: Request removal through contact form

International Sources:

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Step 4: Secure Your Phone Number

Section titled “Step 4: Secure Your Phone Number”

Your phone number is the key to most of your accounts. Protect it:

  1. Don’t share publicly - Use email for public profiles
  2. Get a secondary number - Use Google Voice or a second SIM for signups
  3. Register on DND - Visit ndnc.in to reduce spam
  4. Avoid SMS-based 2FA when app-based 2FA is available

Step 5: Manage Your Email Presence

Section titled “Step 5: Manage Your Email Presence”

Use Email Aliases

Section titled “Use Email Aliases”
  • Create separate emails for different purposes:
    • Personal: yourname@gmail.com
    • Shopping: yourname.shop@gmail.com
    • Newsletters: yourname.news@gmail.com

Check for Breaches

Section titled “Check for Breaches”

Visit haveibeenpwned.com to see if your email has been compromised in data breaches.

Step 6: Control Your Photo Presence

Section titled “Step 6: Control Your Photo Presence”

Reverse Image Search Your Photos

Section titled “Reverse Image Search Your Photos”
  1. Go to images.google.com
  2. Click the camera icon
  3. Upload your profile photo
  4. See where else this photo appears

Photo Privacy Tips:

Section titled “Photo Privacy Tips:”
  • Avoid photos that show your home address
  • Don’t share photos of your ID cards, even partially
  • Be careful with vacation photos (shows you’re away from home)
  • Remove metadata from photos before sharing

Step 7: Professional Presence

Section titled “Step 7: Professional Presence”

Domain Name Protection

Section titled “Domain Name Protection”

If you have a business or professional presence:

  • Consider buying yourname.in or yourname.com
  • Set up a simple landing page you control
  • This prevents impersonation sites

Business Information

Section titled “Business Information”
  • Keep your official business information consistent
  • Register on official directories rather than unknown ones
  • Respond to reviews professionally

Regular Maintenance Checklist

Section titled “Regular Maintenance Checklist”

Do this quarterly:

  • Google yourself and check for new information
  • Review social media privacy settings
  • Check for new data breaches at haveibeenpwned.com
  • Review app permissions on your phone
  • Clean up old accounts you no longer use
  • Update profile photos if they’re very old (scammers use old photos)

What Information to Never Share Online

Section titled “What Information to Never Share Online”
InformationRisk
Aadhaar NumberIdentity theft
PAN CardTax fraud, financial fraud
Passport DetailsIdentity fraud
Full Date of BirthSecurity question answers
Mother’s Maiden NameSecurity question answers
Bank Account NumbersFinancial fraud
Home AddressPhysical security risk
Current LocationBurglary risk, stalking
Work ScheduleTargeted attacks

If Your Information is Already Out There

Section titled “If Your Information is Already Out There”

If sensitive information is publicly available:

  1. Request removal from the website directly
  2. Google Search Console: Request removal of specific URLs
  3. Legal action: For defamatory or harmful content
  4. Monitor for misuse using Google Alerts

Set Up Google Alerts

Section titled “Set Up Google Alerts”

Be notified when new information about you appears online:

  1. Go to google.com/alerts
  2. Create alerts for:
    • Your full name
    • Your email address
    • Your phone number
    • Your business name
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