Doxing is short for “dropping dox,” with “dox” simply being an abbreviation of “documents.” It sounds like a harmless thing to do, but victims of doxing would definitely disagree.
Doxing is a malicious attack typically perpetrated by hackers. So what is it and should you be concerned about being doxed?
What Is Doxing?
Doxing—sometimes spelled ‘doxxing’—is the act of releasing private information publicly, without an individual’s consent.
This can be something seemingly simple like sharing your name, email address, date of birth, or similar Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Or doxing can include data that’s an immediate red flag like your financial details, where you live, and personal photos.
Such information can be stolen and shared using various techniques including hacking, social engineering like phishing, exploitation of social media, and searching public databases then potentially linking gleaned data with an individual.
Even someone linking your personal social media accounts with your professional profiles and making that information public can be damaging.
What does ‘public’ really mean? It can mean being shared on social media, obviously. But, it could also mean your email being added to lists on
the dark web
.
If someone has shared personal information of you without your consent and with malicious intent, you’ve been doxed. This can have serious ramifications, from identity theft to mental illness.
How Does Doxing Affect Everyday People?
Sharing private information can mean someone is targeted by other hackers or by the general public. Firstly, it’s an invasion of privacy so that comes with a feeling of betrayal and vulnerability. Whether you know who leaked the information or not, you can still feel targeted and worry about further consequences.
Those consequences depend on what information is made public.
It can lead to identity theft or fraud. If financial data is shared, that can result in the loss of a lot of money. If your online purchases or search histories are leaked, you could risk your relationships or your job. If someone sees your sensitive photos online, that too could damage your personal and professional reputation.
Once your private details are out there, the genie won’t go back into that bottle.
What Can Happen If Your Email Address Is Leaked?
Leaked information also means you’re a bigger target for other cybercriminals. We’ll take your email address as an example because it seems like something harmless. You give it out to family and friends already. Many shops ask for your email address to send digital receipts or sign up to loyalty cards. It’s understandable if you think it doesn’t matter if your email address is made public.
Your inbox is now fair game: anyone can email you.
Yes, you might start receiving a lot of spam messages. Some will inevitably get through your spam filters. You might accidentally open one and get drawn into the scam. By clicking on a link, even by mistake, you could have downloaded malware to your device; if you’re really fooled by the phishing message, you may submit further personal details, meaning more information is in the hands of cybercriminals.
They can also use your email address to sign up to services. If you receive a slew of messages saying that you’ve created an account or signed up for newsletters, there’s very little you can do about it, except, perhaps, unsubscribe from email lists in the latter case. (Although even then, you have to be careful when unsubscribing from spam: if this is a scam newsletter, a fake notification, then that link to unsubscribe could mean you accidentally download malware too.)
Make no mistake about it: doxing can ruin lives.
How Doxing Ruins Lives: Examples
You may think that you have nothing to hide. That’s fine, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be affected by doxing. Firstly, note that, whether you’re an open book or not, falling victim to hackers and scammers will still feel awful. And don’t forget that doxing is an invasion of privacy.
Doxing can also simply mean your name is linked to something you’re otherwise unconnected to, and that can cause big problems.
Take Claira Janover as an example. As a hyperbolic reaction to the All Lives Matter movement, itself a response to the Black Lives Matter campaign after the death of George Floyd, Janover made a satirical TikTok video comparing stabbings to paper cuts. It was, perhaps, in poor taste, but nonetheless simply a tongue-in-cheek short video.
The video gained traction. This being the internet, things got out of hand very quickly. It wasn’t long before she was being accused of inciting violence. That resulted in her receiving rape and death threats. Janover’s real address was leaked online, so she had to move to a more private apartment with better security.
What’s more, her LinkedIn profile meant Janover was connected to her upcoming employment at financial auditors, Deloitte. The company rescinded her job offer, stating that it “cannot have somebody work for us who in any shape, way, or form endorses or promotes violence, even if it was satirical” (courtesy of Business Insider).
The Boston bombings of 2013 are another good example of this. Public communities on Reddit, 4Chan, and similar platforms attempted to identify the bombers and misidentified numerous suspects. This included one person who’d been missing for a month and was later found having committed suicide. Being misidentified as a bomber caused immeasurable hurt for the family.
The internet is reactionary, and many users forget that online individuals are real people.
How Could Doxing Affect You and What Can You Do About It?
It doesn’t matter if you’re not on TikTok. Nor if you don’t have nudes hidden in your iCloud account. Doxing can affect anyone and everyone.
So what can you do to combat doxing? There’s a limited amount you can do, but awareness is the first step, leading to a greater realisation that your private data is important and shouldn’t be handed out to any outlet asking for it.
Make sure your social media pages are private. This severely limits what information can be leaked. You have to be vigilant about who you accept as followers too: there’s no use making a private account if you’re then going to let complete strangers you’ve not vetted have access to your details.
Don’t forget that, if you want a public profile, you can also set more sensitive posts on Facebook as Friends Only.
Essentially, you need to practice strong cybersecurity measures like hiding your IP address using a VPN, creating numerous email accounts for different purposes, and learning how to spot phishing emails.
