What shows up in Google Search?<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s start with an exercise to understand how your name and other information appear online and to identify any potential privacy concerns:<\/p>\n
Search for your own name on Google (ideally in quotation marks, using a web browser\u2019s incognito mode, and without being logged into your Google account) and see what turns up. Usually, it\u2019s your social media account, blog, or work-related website.<\/p>\n
Now refine your search with an additional parameter, like an oft-visited website, or maybe your street’s name. Unsurprisingly, the search results become more specific, showcasing how powerful search engines are at pinpointing someone\u2019s data.<\/p>\n
If you have a social media account with weak privacy settings<\/a>, run a blog under your real name<\/a>, or list your email address on a company website, these details can be easily compiled to build an extensive picture of your digital identity, often complete with your interests, habits and affiliations. However, this aggregation of information can be a problem for several reasons.<\/p>\n According to the 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report<\/a>, as much as 68% of data breaches occurred due to human error. Of this, a large percentage resulted from people falling for social engineering tactics such as phishing, pretexting, email scams, and extortion.<\/p>\n <\/a>Pretexting is a type of social engineering attack wherein an attacker creates a pretext (story) in order to ultimately steal a victim\u2019s money or data.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Ne\u2019er-do-wells can exploit this wealth of publicly available information using social engineering tactics. These schemes aim to trick people into sending money or revealing sensitive data, such as account credentials.<\/p>\n A subset of <\/em>Business Email Compromise<\/em><\/a> (BEC), <\/em>CEO fraud<\/em><\/a> involves crooks impersonating a company executive and deceiving employees, typically in finance or accounting, into transferring funds or divulging sensitive corporate information. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Consider all the data you found during our exercise \u2013 and evaluate it in the context of the above-mentioned scams.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Google took notice of people\u2019s grievances about their often being just a search away and created several forms to help users remove their information. What\u2019s more, Google also provides a tool, \u201cResults about you<\/a>\u201d, that lets you track your data online and see whether data points like your home address, phone number or email address show up in search results.<\/p>\n To use this feature, you need to have a Google account. You can access it through a browser on your computer or via the Google app on your phone.<\/p>\n For the browser version<\/strong>, follow these steps:<\/p>\n While on the page, select \u201cGet Started\u201d or \u201cSettings\u201d. You\u2019ll be prompted to enter the information they would like to find, such as nicknames, phone numbers, or addresses. You can also set up notifications to alert you if Google finds results associated with your contact information.<\/p>\n On mobile devices<\/strong>, simply click on your Google Account\u2019s profile avatar in the Google App<\/strong> and there should be an option titled \u201cResults about you\u201d in the initial menu.<\/p>\n The search takes a while to complete, but you\u2019ll receive a notification as soon as the query is finished. If the results are not to your liking, you can request removal through the designated option.<\/p>\n Do note that \u201cResults about you\u201d is not available in all regions\/countries, but <\/em>more are being added<\/em><\/a> as we go along. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another option is to submit a direct request to Google to review and remove search results that fulfill particular criteria \u2013 such as exposure of your email or home address, login credentials, or other personal details.<\/p>\n It is rather easy \u2013 just start a removal request by filling out the required form (pictured below and available here<\/a>).<\/p>\n If the issue isn\u2019t clear-cut or Google requires additional information to pinpoint the problem, you\u2019ll receive an email asking for further clarification.<\/p>\n Some people may be comfortable with having their public data available online, but privacy-minded citizens might not. Even well-known public figures and organizations should keep certain data confidential to steer clear of privacy and security risks.<\/p>\n Likewise, by limiting your online presence, you can more easily lead a privacy-conscious life. In the end, it boils down to understanding what information about you is out there and to staying vigilant so that malicious actors won\u2019t catch you off-guard.<\/p>\nThe dangers of social engineering<\/h2>\n
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Managing your data in Google Search<\/h2>\n
How to use Google\u2019s \u201cResults about you\u201d<\/h3>\n
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Request the removal of search results<\/h3>\n
![\"google-personal-information-removal-request\"](\"https:\/\/web-assets.esetstatic.com\/wls\/2024\/10-2024\/google-personal-information-removal-request.png\" "\\"\\"")
![\"\"](\"\/Users\/TOMAS~1.FOL\/AppData\/Local\/Temp\/1\/msohtmlclip1\/01\/clip_image002.png\")
<\/p>\nCybersecurity, privacy, and a scam-free life<\/h2>\n