It’s a new year — a great time to clean up your digital profile

* This article is sponsored by Equifax.

The new year is a perfect time for fresh starts. Whether it’s setting goals or tackling long-overdue projects, January feels like a clean slate. But have you ever thought about cleaning up your digital footprint? Your online activities – everything from social media posts to shopping accounts – leave behind a trail of personal information, and that information makes you vulnerable to identify theft.

Taking stock of your digital profile involves tidying up and keeping things recent, but it’s mainly about protecting yourself and keeping your identity safe. Identity theft is on the rise in Canada, and reviewing your online presence to minimize your digital footprint can help you stay one step ahead of scammers.

Let’s talk about digital footprints, and how minimizing yours can set you up for a safer year ahead.

What is a digital footprint?

Your digital footprint is the data trail left behind whenever you interact online. It can come from activities like browsing websites, sending emails, or sharing information on social media. This footprint grows in two ways: through actions you take intentionally and through data collected behind the scenes.

An active digital footprint is created when you knowingly share information – like posting on social media, filling out online forms, or accepting cookies from a website. A passive digital footprint is formed without your knowledge when websites and apps track your location, log your online behaviour, or install cookies on your device without you even realizing it’s happening.

While it may seem harmless, your digital footprint is valuable to scammers. Cybercriminals use bits of online information to impersonate you or commit identity theft. Identity theft often begins with stolen personal details like your name, address, or even your social insurance number is stolen and released.

Identity fraud in Canada is on the rise

Identity fraud is a growing concern across the country. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates that one in five Canadians will fall victim to identity theft in their lifetime.

Scammers often rely on tactics such as phishing emails, fake websites, and dark web marketplaces to collect and trade stolen data. Once they have that data, it can be used to apply for loans or credit cards, open fraudulent bank accounts, or even impersonate victims to commit tax fraud or access government benefits.

Victims of identity fraud can face significant consequences, including financial losses, damaged credit, and the frustration of trying to restore their stolen identity.

How to clean up your digital identity

Reducing your digital footprint is an important step in protecting yourself from identity theft. Here’s how to do it:

Delete inactive accounts

The more online accounts you have, the more exposed your personal data becomes. Forgotten email accounts, social media profiles, or unused apps may seem harmless, but they’re prime targets for hackers. Old accounts often lack updated security measures, making them especially vulnerable to modern hacking tactics.

Update your privacy settings

Check your privacy settings to control who sees your profile and posts. Make sure your profiles are private and audit your followers regularly. It’s important to remove anyone you don’t know – those accounts could belong to scammers trying to steal your information.

Think before you share

Oversharing on social media can unintentionally provide scammers with the information they need to hack your accounts and steal your identity. Avoid posting details that could be used to reset passwords or answer security questions, such as your pet’s name, spouse’s birthday, or your mother’s maiden name.

Strengthen your passwords

Speaking of resetting passwords, update yours regularly. Don’t use real-world information in your passwords, like the examples mentioned above.

Reusing the same password for multiple accounts can leave you vulnerable if one of them gets hacked. Use a password manager to generate and securely store strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts. It also helps to enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a second step to access your accounts, like a code sent to your phone. It’s a simple way to make your online security much stronger.

Monitor your credit and personal data

Equifax Complete^TM Protection is a multi-layered credit and cybersecurity protection service available for $34.95 a month. It includes:

• Social media monitoring powered by ZeroFox, which scans for threats like impersonation, phishing, identity theft or account takeovers.
• Dark web monitoring with WebScan, helping to alert you if your personal information is found online.
• Daily credit monitoring and alerts to notify you of key changes to your Equifax Canada credit report that can help you spot fraud faster, such as new credit card or loan applications.

On top of that, Equifax Complete Protection provides a password manager and secure VPN from Nord. It also includes device protection and parental controls from Bitdefender to help keep your entire household safe. If your identity is ever compromised, ID theft insurance of up to $1 million (not available for new purchases in Quebec) and recovery tools are there to help.

The bottom line

Cleaning up your digital profile may not be glamorous, but it’s an investment in your peace of mind. By reducing your digital footprint and adopting smarter online habits, you’ll stay ahead of identity thieves and scammers.

Take control of your online safety and start the year with a fresh digital profile and smaller digital footprint. For more information about Equifax Complete Protection, click here.

Also read:

• Is social media putting your identity at risk?
• What to know when buying the Equifax Complete Protection product
• Credit card fraud 101
• Financial fraud: Are you covered?
• Credit scores explained