Why You Should Run Your Own Privacy Audit

(And How to Do It)Yooniko

What you post on social media can impact your job• Bosses, potential clients, co-workers and recruiters make judgements about

you based on what they see• Many people forget to check their privacy filters when they post online, and

this can cause problems• Configure your privacy settings properly to keep your private life, private

The image that you project online matters

Since big businesses have privacy audits, why shouldn’t you?

Start getting your online profile working for you, not against you.

Figure out your exposure • Check your online presence by going through each social media account

individually – do you still need this account?

• Find out how you appear to someone whom you don't know (start Googling your name in a new, virgin browser to see what comes up)

• Note what comes up in the search results, and bookmark sites that you want to return to for more digging

Clean house• Delete all the profiles that you no longer use

• Deduce if you can delete all the content you posted on these profiles (sometimes you don’t actually remove your posts when you deactivate the account)

• Contact the websites that are showing incorrect/troublesome content about you to ask them to remove your data from their sites

Put in the time• Take the time to understand privacy controls on the sites where you plan

to keep personal information

• A majority of these sites have reasonably good information to help you understand how filters work

• Use the content under the Help tab to keep your public face clean and clear, and your private life, private

Get a fresh set of eyes• Use your ‘clean browser’ to check your work once you properly configure your

privacy controls

• Ask a trusted friend to run a few searches on your name or ask them to try and find your pictures or a post you recently left on a social media site

• Adjust any settings if content slips through the filters

Schedule tune-ups• Once you complete the initial audit, schedule ongoing maintenance• Set a recurring appointment with yourself (Every 6 months is fine; every 3

months may be better)

• The more you post and the more websites / profiles you post on, the more often you should be verifying your privacy controls for their correct settings

Large companies value this kind of vigilance for their own brands

And your unique brand is one of your most valued assets, so protect it!

Keep in Touch!

YOONIKO IS ONLINE