Imagine the internet as a massive apple orchard. Every person, including you, has a tree growing in that orchard. Each apple on your tree represents a piece of information about you. And every apple is valuable. Governments want it. Tech companies want it. Hackers and scammers want it.
Your name, past addresses, phone numbers are all likely hanging out there already. Data breaches have leaked Social Security numbers, account credentials, credit card details and just about every detail you can imagine about your life. Each apple is a chance for your personal life to be exposed. The damage can range from major headaches to permanent harm for you and your family.
So what should you do? Start by picking all of the low-hanging fruit before someone else does. You won’t get everything, but you can force the “bad guys” work harder for whatever is left.
Start with Google. They offer a tool called Results About You. All you do is enter some personal information that you’d rather not be searchable and Google will scan the web for you. When they detect a match, you can request removal from the hosting site directly through Google. Easy as that. They’ll keep monitoring, alerting you if new results pop up so you can repeat the process.
Yes, this does require trusting one big tech company with personal information (they probably already have), but it’s a small price to pay to keep your data away from countless others who would do real harm. It’s not a one-stop solution. Think of it as the first basket of apples you pick on your path to protecting your tree. And the sooner you start, the better.
-The Citizen Unplugged Team
