Your data broker profile can expose more than most of us realize.It may include your current address, old addresses, relatives, phone numbers and public records that were never tied to a phishing link or hacked password.
That is what makes this so frustrating.Strong passwords, two-factor authentication and smart online habits all help protect your accounts.
However, they do not stop data brokers from collecting public records and commercial sign-up data.Those details can then show up on people-search sites.Even worse, scammers can use them to make a fake call, text or email sound personal and believable.
Here is where data broker profiles get their information, why careful online behavior alone falls short and what steps can help reduce what strangers can find about you.Free live CyberGuy class: Sick of Spam? Join us July 22Join us Wednesday, July 22, at 1 PM ET for a free CyberGuy Live class that will help you cut down on robocalls, spam texts, junk email and other unwanted messages.Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson will walk you step by step through simple ways to filter spam, clean up your inbox and recognize the messages that could put your personal information at risk.
No technical experience is needed.You’ll also receive our spam-stopping checklist, and every registrant will get a link to the class recording afterward.Reserve your free spot today at CyberGuyLive.com.FAKE VA SHOE OFFER TARGETS VETERANSStrong passwords protect your accounts, but they do not stop data brokers from collecting public records and selling personal information to people-search sites.
(Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Most people assume data brokers get information the same way hackers do, through breaches, weak passwords or phishing links.That can happen.
However, a lot of personal information comes from public records and commercial lists.Data brokers can build profiles from records that may exist even when someone barely uses the internet, including:In many U....