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Doxing: Is Your Personal Information at Risk?


 

Doxing is the online slang for "dropping documents," which means revealing private information about a person or his identity to the public without his permission. It may be as simple as a person's name, e-mail, or phone number, but it can also include confidential data like financial information, home addresses, and even personal photos. Typically, hackers or cybercrooks do this with the aim of causing harm to that person, either through identity theft, fraud, or embarrassment.

The methods are varied, from hackers involving social media platforms or public databases in obtaining personal information to others using phishing techniques to get sensitive information from unsuspecting individuals. Once out of a computer within, it is no longer within one's control, and the impacts may be dire, touching on every point in an individual's life.


Impact of Doxing on Victims

With private information made public, victims of such situations can easily become victimised with harassment, identity theft, and other kinds of exploitative activities. In many cases, it just feels like a privacy violation; this can evoke feelings of vulnerability and betrayal. Even if the individual responsible is unknown to the victim, they may feel as if they are always in danger.

The extent of damage would also depend on the type of information that is leaked. For instance, if one accesses financial information, then the victims would lose their money when financially victimised to fraud and theft. It is in sensitive photos or private details where reputations get adversely tainted, relationships get harmed in society, or even employment loss. Sensitive data like online search histories can, in extreme cases, lead to even worse consequences: public humiliation.


Why You Shouldn't Leak Your Email Address

You might think that nothing substantial can be generated from your email address, but believe me, it has a fair amount of valuable information attached to it. I mean, sure, you share it with your friends, family, or maybe some business that's running loyalty programs or will mail you receipts. But would you like everyone in the world to have access to it? I didn't think so. Once you send out your email, cyber thieves have an open opportunity to flood your inbox with spam, phishing attempts, or risky malware disguised as legitimate messages. In case you click on any of these links and accidentally let a cyber thief steal your device, it may be compromised.

Beyond spam, hackers can use your email to forge accounts in your name, damaging your reputation online. How dangerous the simple act of gaining access and maliciously using your email address is becomes clear when considering that even the smallest piece of personal information can be dangerous.


Examples of Real Doxing Impact in Life

The outcomes of doxing, at least in some well-publicised instances, can be catastrophic. For Claira Janover, a satirical video that she shot actually found its way onto the internet and led to death threats, including even publicising her home address. She was forced to change her address. Even Deloitte-the firm that had already hired her-now rescinded their job offer, given some online activity that was associated with her professional profile.

The same instance comes in the form of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing investigation. Here, internet communities like Reddit and 4Chan branded innocent people with incorrect accusations. The anguish of misidentified families had to be bearable while their loved ones' names streamed online as wrongly linked to the attack. These prove that doxing does not only hack privacy but could also have life-altering results.


How to protect yourself from Doxing

Being doxed is inevitable for everyone, but there are many things you can do to avoid falling victim. The number one and perhaps most relevant is practising good cyber safety: lock up the doors, so to speak. Keep your social media accounts private and be very selective of who follows or is connected to you online. Regularly check on your privacy settings and ensure that no one can access sensitive information about you in public media.

This can be enhanced by masking your IP address with a VPN (Virtual Private Network) while making a separate email account for communication, shopping, and all the professional work you do online. Clicking on any suspicious link at any time can harm you: never do it, not even if it looks legit.

Doxing is a serious form of cybercrime, which has deep and far-reaching effects on a victim's personal and professional life. The important thing for an individual to know is that being aware of the danger and taking proactive steps to protect your information is enough to lower the bar for such an attack. Digital privacy protection is the need of today.


Massive Email Address Exposure: SOCRadar.io Data Scraping Incident

 

A significant security concern has arisen following the exposure of an estimated 332 million email addresses online, allegedly scraped from the security intelligence platform SOCRadar.io. The massive data dump was reportedly posted on a cybercrime forum by a threat actor known as Dominatrix. According to Hackread, the data was initially scraped by another actor, “USDoD,” who has a history of involvement in previous data breaches. The leaked data was extracted from what are described as “stealer logs and combolists,” suggesting that malware infections played a crucial role in the initial data collection. 

This indicates a broader issue involving malware distribution and the exploitation of compromised systems. The data scraping incident reportedly took place in July 2024. Hackread notes that an announcement on the underground hacker forum Breach Forums revealed that a 14GB CSV file containing only email addresses, aggregated from various data breaches, was obtained. The forum user known as USDoD initially attempted to sell the scraped data for $7,000 on July 28, 2024. 

However, Dominatrix, who is alleged to have purchased the data, made it public on August 3, 2024, stating, “Hello BreachForums Community, Today I have uploaded a SocRadar database for you to download, thanks for reading and enjoy! In July 2024, @USDoD scraped socradar.io extracting 332 million emails parsed from stealer logs and combolists. I have purchased the data to share with you all today.” 

Although the incident does not involve passwords, the exposure of email addresses poses several risks. Cybercriminals could use the email list to conduct large-scale phishing campaigns, attempt unauthorized access through brute-force attacks, or perform credential stuffing by comparing the emails with previously leaked data containing passwords. SOCRadar’s Chief Security Officer, Ensar Seker, has disputed the claims that the data was sourced from their platform. According to Seker, there is no evidence proving that the data was collected from SOCRadar. 

Instead, he suggests that the data was likely harvested from Telegram channels and misrepresented as being from SOCRadar. Seker emphasizes that threat actors had impersonated legitimate companies to gather the information. SOCRadar is pursuing legal avenues and cooperating with law enforcement agencies to address the issue. This incident underscores the critical need for strong cybersecurity practices. 

Users are advised to employ unique passwords for different accounts, enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security, and remain vigilant against unsolicited emails, avoiding suspicious links and attachments to mitigate potential threats.

Why You Should Mask Your Email Address


 

In today's digital age, entering your real email address into a website is a risky move. It's all too common for websites to sell your information to data brokers, who then use it for marketing, targeted ads, or even reselling. To safeguard your privacy and security, masking your email address has become a crucial practice.

Email masking is essential not just for avoiding spam but also for protecting your personal information from falling into the wrong hands. If your email address is leaked in a data breach, it could end up on the dark web, accessible to scammers and cybercriminals. These malicious actors store your data in databases for use in scams and hacking attempts. Additionally, there have been instances where government bodies have purchased data broker information for surveillance purposes.

By using masked emails when signing up for services and accounts, you can prevent your details from being leaked. A masked email can be discarded with a single click, rendering it useless to scammers. This proactive measure significantly reduces your risk of being targeted by cyber threats.

Easy Solutions for Email Masking

For those looking to enhance their privacy effortlessly, two services stand out: NordVPN and Surfshark. These VPN providers offer more than just secure internet connections; they also provide simple and effective email masking solutions.

NordVPN integrates email masking with its built-in password manager, NordPass. This service is user-friendly, offering fast speeds and excellent content unblocking capabilities. Priced at $3.39 per month for a two-year plan, NordVPN delivers great value and a range of privacy tools. Plus, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try it risk-free.

Surfshark is another excellent choice, especially for those on a budget. It not only masks your email but also offers phone number masking for users in the US, with plans to expand this feature to other regions. Known for its speed and effectiveness in streaming, Surfshark provides a high-quality VPN service with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This allows you to test the service before committing.

Using a VPN like NordVPN or Surfshark offers several other benefits. These services protect your devices from hackers, enable you to stream content from abroad, and block ads and malware. The comprehensive protection offered by VPNs makes them a valuable tool for maintaining online privacy and security.


Taking Privacy Further with Incogni

For those looking to take their privacy a step further, Incogni is a useful tool. It actively removes your information from data brokers, reducing the chances of being targeted by aggressive marketing and advertisers. Bundling Incogni with a Surfshark subscription can be a cost-effective way to enhance your privacy defences.

Keeping your email address private is a simple yet powerful way to protect yourself from unwanted spam and cyber threats. By utilising services like NordVPN and Surfshark for email masking, and tools like Incogni for data removal, you can enjoy a more secure and private online experience.