The Government of Canada website has a page called “Canadian Centre for Cyber Security”, where it explains what a digital footprint is, the risks associated with it, and what you can do to protect yours.
A digital footprint is “the trail of data you create while using the Internet. This trail of data comes from the websites you visit, the emails you send, and the information you submit or download online. You build your footprint both actively and passively.” (Canadian Center for Cyber Security). You can’t use the internet without creating some form of digital footprint, whether big or small.
The way you actively build your footprint is when you intentionally do something online. Some examples are of actively building your digital footprint are positing on social media and agreeing to cookies on websites. Cookies, specifically internet cookies, “are small blocks of data created by a web server while a user is browsing a website and placed on the user’s computer or other device by the user’s web browser.” (Wikipedia). Cookies are used to access the website on the device that the person is using, for example, saving your username and password is a form of cookies. Unfortunately, this means that cookies may be placed on your device more than once, and the website can do this unknowingly. For something named cookies, this is not as sweet a treat as it seems to be.
Passively building your digital footprint is when your data is available unintentionally, and is often collected through or tied to your IP address. “Websites and applications may install cookies on devices without disclosure, use location tracking, or log your activities.” (Canadian Center for Cyber Security). The part of a passive digital footprint that separates it from the active, is that the user is unaware that it is happening. And because the user is unaware, this can sometimes mean that data is being collected without the user’s permission as well. This may sound scary, but one way of diminishing this fear is by learning basic internet terms and what you can do to protect your digital footprint.
It’s important to think about who can add to your digital footprint, as well as make sure that your digital footprint is protected. “Your organization is responsible for protecting the sensitive information (e.g., client names, financial data, personal identification information) it collects” (Canadian Center for Cyber Security). Organization in this context is a loose term for a group of people who work together, like a cooperation or even a charity. It’s important to protect sensitive information because others can use it to their own advantage, which would be data theft. People can use internet information for various reasons, to gain access to addresses, bank information, and government certifications.
A good start to protecting your data is to be careful about what you share about yourself or other people online; always ask first because not everyone wants to share certain information. Be sure to disable your cookies, because even if you aren’t aware, they can still be traced back to you. If you do the research, and play it safe, you will have a safe digital footprint
Photo Credit: Maddie Corbett, March 2024.
