How to Prevent Doxxing: 6 Tips

Doxxing can be a scary occurrence for internet users. The information you thought was secure is now in the hands of hackers and whoever else wants it on the World Wide Web. Not all hope is lost, though. You can take steps to get ahead of any hacker or someone who has a grudge against you. These six tips will show you how to prevent doxxing.

1. Make Your Social Media Private

The first step is to make your social media private and monitor who has access to your social media posts. You may have entered your full date of birth on apps like Twitter. These apps typically have privacy settings that, by default, will display your birthday, email address and other information you’ve entered. Go to your privacy settings and change them to where only you can see it or a select group of friends.

2. Pick a Pseudonym

On some apps like Facebook, it’s common to use your real first and last name on your profile. However, users typically use pseudonyms on other platforms like Reddit, Discord and more. When constantly interacting with strangers on the web, a fake name will protect your identity because it’s difficult to trust strangers. 

If a hacker is attempting to doxx you, they’ll try to collect your information from multiple websites. If you use the same name or username on social media platforms, cybercriminals will have a higher success rate of getting your data. Pseudonyms are a simple yet effective way for people who want to know how to prevent doxxing. 

3. Connect to Secure Wifi Networks

One of the best ways to protect your information is to connect to a secured wifi network. An unsecured network, such as a public access network, is vulnerable to hackers. They can use malicious software and track what you’re doing. The hacker can see the information whenever you type in your username and password to log in. Sometimes, you have to use public wifi when on the road. If you do, limit your activity and don’t provide sensitive information. 

4. Use a VPN

Sometimes, secure wifi networks aren’t enough. Expert hackers can still find ways to see your internet protocol (IP) address. That alone won’t give away your exact location, but it will get them closer. One solution to protect your identifying information is to use a virtual private network (VPN).

VPNs are a way to connect securely to the internet and protect your location. These networks are private connections because they mask your whereabouts. If you live in Chicago, a VPN could make a hacker think you’re in Canada, South Korea or elsewhere. Any hacker attempting to steal your information would get the VPN’s data instead, which is not yours. VPNs benefit online gamers who inadvertently angered a fellow player seeking revenge.

5. Create and Rotate Strong Passwords

This tip is practical for anybody wanting to strengthen their cybersecurity habits and those who want to learn how to prevent doxxing. As mentioned above, hackers will attempt to find your login information for one website. If they do, they may have found your passwords for many sites if you use the same password. That’s why it’s essential to create strong passwords for every site you use. 

Password managers can make this task easier by creating strong codes that you can securely store. Once you have used these passwords, rotating them once a month or so is wise. Practicing these cybersecurity basics will help combat doxxing. Add another layer of security and utilize multifactor authorization (MFA), curtailing the hacker of your information. 

6. Update Software

This last tip is another rule of thumb for preventing doxxing and keeping your cybersecurity risk low. Keeping all of your software updated is an excellent way to prevent hackers from stealing your information. Software companies regularly send out security updates to fix the bugs. Outdated devices unable to access these security updates put you at risk for doxxing. 

How to Prevent Doxxing by Hackers

Cybersecurity has become a heightened concern in the last few years. Cyber thefts and cyberattacks have increased dramatically since the pandemic’s beginning in 2020. Hackers can put you at risk by doxxing. The public doesn’t need to know your passwords, banking information and other records. The culprit could be a cybercriminal, or it could be someone you know. For any situation, follow these six tips on how to prevent doxxing.