The Increasing Danger of 'Doxing' on the Internet

Cyber ​​security company ESET has made statements about "doxing", which has recently become a social pressure tool on individuals. What is doxing? How do you avoid exposure to doxing? What should you do when you are exposed to doxing?

In a study published in the United Kingdom in June, it was stated that 19 percent of the participants were the victims of doxing, an act where malicious people share their victims' personal information online for the purpose of embarrassing or intimidating; ESET shared what users should pay attention to in order not to be exposed to doxing.

The information ESET shared with its users is as follows: With doxing, malicious people seek to intimidate, embarrass or severely offend their victims in order to seek money from their victims, take revenge or bring their own justice. Doxing can lead to a range of consequences, from cyberbullying to stalking and harassing the person in the real world, and even attacking the person to killing the person.

Anyone can be a victim one day

The reason why doxing is such a serious danger lies in the possibility that everyone will one day become a victim. While it's up to us to choose who to follow us on social media and adjust our privacy settings, we can't prevent all the things malicious people do. Some of these people leak the personal information of others out of sheer boredom. However, in recent years, the act of doxing has taken on a new purpose. Doxing has become a tool of societal pressure on individuals, as villains expose what they believe to be wrongdoing and social harm to their victims.

Younger generations at risk

Doxing is becoming more and more common in the online world. The more time people spend online, the more they compromise their security. Doxing over a simple disagreement or rivalry over an online video game is enough to create a huge emotional load for fear of the consequences and embarrassment, especially if children are involved. Platforms like Twitch, Steam, Discord, and Roblox can create a false sense of security, as most interactions take place between players' user IDs and avatars. However, small details are enough for people who are determined to doxing to reach more personal information. For example, they can search for the targeted user ID on Twitter to find more information about the victim and their friend list.

But this is not just limited to games. Virtual school resources based on video platforms or social media can also become a hazard if privacy rules are not in place by both schools and parents alike.

How do you avoid exposure to doxing?

There are some ways you can make it harder for someone to collect information about you online:

• Clean up your digital footprint.
• Do not share personal information online.
• Use two-factor (or multi-factor) authentication (2FA, MFA) on all your accounts.
• Use a strong and unique password.
• Make sure your video meetings and conversations are private and encrypted.
• Do not open online links before you are sure that they were sent intentionally by someone you know. If in doubt, ask those people about it! Do not open these links if they were sent by a stranger.

What should you do when you are exposed to doxing?

• First, don't blame yourself for malicious intent. Remember that we are all at risk.
• Report and block them using the appropriate tools on the platform where the harassment took place.
• Take a screenshot of all the details that can support this event.
• Make sure all your social media accounts are private and consider freezing them for a while.
• Tell your friends or family what happened, especially if your home or work address has been disclosed.
• Inform your bank about this situation and make sure that your credit card information is protected.
• Consider whether to contact law enforcement.