How do you guys handle already leaked online private datas?

antdude

Do those online services (Icogni, Privacy Bee, DeleteMe, etc.), that are supposed to remove them, really work?

px_eliezer_

Mmmph.

Services That Delete Your Data From People-Search Sites Don’t Work Very Well, Study Finds
EasyOptOuts and Optery performed the best in CR’s study. But doing the work yourself is more effective than all of them.
https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/personal-information/services-that-delete-data-from-people-search-sites-review-a2705843415/

Some pros and cons here:

“Do you need to use a data removal service?”
https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/vpns/do-you-need-to-use-a-data-removal-service

Also consider:

Mozilla is dropping its partner for Mozilla Monitor Plus, its paid data-broker cleanup service, due to a conflict of interest.
The CEO of OneRep, the company helping Mozilla remove people from online data brokers, still has a stake in those very kinds of websites.
https://www.techdecoded.org/mozilla-ends-data-removal-service-over-ceo-conflict

px_eliezer_

In answer to your original question—

How do you guys handle already leaked online private datas?

To a big extent I no longer bother.

Because everything is out there already.

Birthdates, property records, addresses, everything else.

Put online by county clerks, state boards of elections, local tax collectors, local sewer utilities, etc etc etc etc

Even voter records in many states.
https://voterrecords.com/

So I have full credit freezes with the 4 main agencies (especially after that damn NPD breach).
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/23/was-my-social-security-number-stolen-national-public-data-breach-questions.html

Beyond that—we all need luck, and we all need to hope that no one nukes us.

egeezer

px_eliezer_
+1 for your methods. There’s a handbook for LEOs entitled “Removing Digital Exhaust”. It’s classified but may be out there. It’s a 60+ page “how-to” for removing online presence.

But with literally hundreds on entities collecting, sharing and buying PII, nailing down financials and employing security best practices is the most effective way to prevent breaches and fraud.

antdude

Thanks all. Yeah, I feel so uneasy with this! It is getting worse too. Aren’t there like seven credit agencies now as mentioned in former/old DSLReports.com’s security forum? 🙁

Astyanax

What are we supposed to be doing to “handle” it short of maybe putting those “locks” on our credit files that will likely hinder you more than any potential crooks?