The digital side lanes have morphed into digital highways. Our lives have become inexorably intertwined with daily overdoses of incoming information in the guise of messages, data, news, emails etc, and there IS NO going back. The flood gates are open and the barrage of information overflows into every aspect of our lives. It is exhausting!

Yes, digital exhaust is a thing now.  

Digital exhaust is also seen in another light. It is the footprints we leave behind on the digital highway. The digital fumes that are residual leftovers of our trails. Our pathways are monitored, measured, assessed. Our footprints now leave indelible markings across the digital highway for everyone to see. 

Data generated from our daily dose of the Internet - browsing habits, search history or our interactions on the social media platforms etc.- is invaluable and provides a cache of information that is utilized by an armada of searchers for such data, from marketing companies to government agencies to hackers. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. 

Anonymity is dead. 

Viewed from the prism of doubt, distrust and suspicion, every online click can be tainted and questioned. We are all at risk of being misunderstood, and so an open-minded and empathetic touch is key in such circumstances. 

Tread carefully. Our every move is being watched. Interpreted. Even if we don’t have any ulterior motives, the twist in perspective / interpretation can turn a simple request on Google into a red alert for some.

On the corporate front as well, digital exhaust has become a critical element. Our competitive data is being mined, constantly. We are at risk of being used for the benefit of others. Corporate espionage aside, our secrets are not the only challenge. It is the day to day interactions / communications across our different channels, our client base, our processes, almost anything that is digital and online. Once upon a time, hackers were specialists who were the only ones privy to access secrets.  With the advent of AI and the tools now available to the common man, almost anyone who puts their mind to it, can access it all. Malware, Ransomware, Cybersecurity, Phishing, Spyware, Trojan Viruses etc. are omni present and steps must be taken to ensure security of your data.  

So, what is the answer? I wish it was simple. There isn’t a product on the market that does it all. Multiple aspects require different approaches and different tools. Cloud backups are key, as are virus scans, clearing browsing history, changing passwords weekly, cyber security measures, closed cameras, setting privacy parameters etc. 

No matter what, the digital exhaust will leave footprints nonetheless and it remains that anyone interested enough to put some time and effort into it, will find what they are looking for in the end . 

For now, we have to live with this fact in the digital era. The only thing we can do is mitigate our risks, as our information is out there and there is little one can do currently to keep our secrets online.

The only thing we can do is ensure whatever can be done, is being done. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/uzair-hassan-6451024/  

uzair.hassan@3hsolutions.biz