Searching for someone you just met on social media to find out as much as possible about that person, searching for a friend who isn’t responding to text messages on Instagram to try to find out what they’re doing, this is one of the goals of social media social but not everyone does it just out of curiosity and that’s where the problems start. ESET explains what doxing is and how to protect yourself.

The doxing (also know as doxxing) describes a practice that consists of publishing, usually online, personal information of users with the aim of embarrassing or intimidating them. A study carried out in the United Kingdom and published in June 2022 revealed that 19% of the people surveyed were victims of doxing.

Criminals seek through the publication of personal information to frighten, embarrass and create enormous distress, sometimes demanding money from their victims, other times out of sheer revenge or a personal sense of justice. While doxing can be perpetrated by strangers – both individuals and groups – it can also be carried out by acquaintances. Doxing is especially dangerous because its consequences can range from cyberbullying to bullying and harassment in the physical world, and can even go as far as assault or even murder.

“Doxing is a practice that has even started to be used by cybercriminals in ransomware attacks. In 2019, some ransomware groups not only infected their victims with malware that hijacked all files, but also started stealing information from their victims before blocking access to the information. In this way, cybercriminals began to pressure organizations to pay or else they would publish private information publicly. comments Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, Head of the ESET Latin America Research Laboratory.

There are many cases of people who have been victims of doxing. For example, after giving a business a bad score, a woman was also identified by her car license plate in a video someone uploaded in which she was filmed in a moment of rage, and in another case the phone number of A woman was posted on Craigslist in a fake sex ad as payback for her professional opinion published in a local newspaper.

Fuente: Google Business support forum

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If it is children, the doxing it can start as a result of a simple disagreement or rivalry in an online video game and can cause an enormous emotional load through the fear of its consequences and the shame generated. Platforms like Twitch, Steam, Discord, and Roblox can give a false sense of security, as most interactions happen between player IDs (usernames) and avatars. However, small details are enough for certain users to obtain personal information, for example by searching for a specific user ID on Twitter, where they can find more personal information and a list of friends.

Fuente: Steam discussion board

But doxing It’s not just limited to gaming. Virtual school resources based on video or social media platforms can also become dangerous if proper privacy rules are not put in place by both schools and families.

We share some ways in which it can be made more difficult for anyone to collect information and avoid being a victim of doxing:

Clean up online presence
Do not share (further) any personal information online
Use two-step or multi-factor authentication on all accounts
Use a unique and strong password
Ensure that video conferences and calls are private and encrypted.
Do not open links before making sure they were sent intentionally and by someone you know. If in doubt, ask first! If they were sent by a stranger, do not open them

What to do if you are a victim of doxing:

First of all, do not blame yourself for the malicious intentions of others. Keep in mind that everyone is at risk.
Report and block the harassing person through the tools available on the platform where the event is taking place.
Take screenshots of all the details that are considered to be relevant to support the case.
Make sure all social media accounts are private; consider putting them on hold for a while.
Notify friends or family so they are aware of what is happening, especially if a home or work address has been exposed.
Report to the bank what is happening; ensure that card data is protected.
Consider contacting the local police. Although the doxing in itself may not be considered a crime in the locality of residence, financial fraud and the physical harm that results from it is.

“Doxing is serious, and it can be a life-ruining tool, especially in a world where, despite being all interconnected, we are increasingly divided in opinion. Exposing personal data can become, over time, a game of ping-pong where we will all be affected. But this kind of awareness is, in turn, what can protect us for the future. Important discussions are already taking place to criminalize doxing, prevent its further growth, and create a framework to protect victims. The best we can do for now is understand that these attacks can happen to anyone and exercise caution while online.” added Gutiérrez Amaya from ESET Latin America.

Source: time.news