Digital footprints explained – and how to protect yours

Most of us go online every day, whether it’s for shopping, scrolling through social media or binge-watching cat videos.

Everyone who uses the internet leaves a digital footprint, but it comes with dangers. Luckily, Surfshark offers a number of tools to help protect you.

Surfshark One, from £1.89 per month

For example, in the case of apps, people typically spend around 4 to 5 hours daily using them, with an average of 9 apps in regular rotation.

Platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook dominate much of this time, focusing on social interactions.

Imagine downloading 9 different apps in one morning to handle everything from keeping up with friends to managing your travel plans and finances.

As you navigate through these apps, you’re leaving behind digital footprints.

In fact, an average smartphone user might generate up to 188 digital footprints every day.

Some data, like your name or address, is shared immediately when you sign up, while other data, like your food preferences or browsing history, is constantly generated as you use the apps.

The harm? If this information is sold to data brokers or leaked due to poor cybersecurity, it can be combined to create a detailed digital profile about you.

While some of this data helps improve app functionality, such as fixing bugs or improving performance, a significant portion remains poorly defined, making it challenging to track its purpose or how it’s used.

What is a digital footprint?

Your digital footprint is the trail of information you leave behind whenever you use the internet.

This could be as simple as logging into an app, browsing a website, or posting on social media.

Companies often use this data to show you personalised ads based on your preferences.

There are two types of digital footprints:

• Active digital footprint. This is the information you knowingly share online, like posting a photo, leaving a comment, subscribing to a newsletter, or shopping online.
• Passive digital footprint. This is the data collected about you without you realising it. For example, when you visit a website, cookies might track your device, IP address, location, or even biometric information.

Further into this article, you can find out more about which Surfshark products will protect both kinds of footprints.

Why should you care about your digital footprint?

Your digital footprint can affect more than just the ads you see. It can impact your online reputation, privacy, and even security.

Cybercriminals could use your personal information to impersonate you, send phishing emails, or worse.

Data breaches are another big risk: if a company holding your information gets hacked, your sensitive details like passwords or credit card numbers could be leaked.

And it’s not just hackers who might access your data – data brokers, advertisers, employers and even strangers online can view parts of your digital footprint.

How to protect your digital footprint

Surfshark One, from £1.89 per month

Want to stay safe online? Start with some simple habits.

Share less personal information, check your privacy settings regularly, and delete old accounts.

Avoid suspicious-looking websites, keep your software updated, and consider removing your data from brokers’ databases.

For more advanced protection, Surfshark offers tools to safeguard both your active and passive digital footprints.

Protecting your active digital footprint

Surfshark offers a suite of digital products, each created to combat different cybersecurity issues and offer you online protection.

Surfshark Alternative ID

This tool creates a new online identity for you, including an alternative email address.

By using this alternative email for sign-ups and newsletters, you can protect your main email from spam and exposure.

If the alternative email gets compromised, you can simply delete it to limit any damage.

Surfshark Alert

Surfshark Alert monitors your personal information, like email addresses or credit card details, for leaks.

If your data is exposed, you’ll get an instant alert, allowing you to act quickly and prevent further misuse.

Protecting your passive digital footprint

Surfshark VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network)  like Surfshark hides your IP address and encrypts your internet connection.

This stops websites from tracking your location or linking your browsing habits to your identity.

It also prevents hackers and internet providers from spying on your activity. To find out more, head to our in-depth Surfshark VPN review.

Surfshark Search

This private search tool ensures your queries aren’t logged or tracked.

It gives you ad-free, unbiased search results without using your search history to profile you.

Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus protects your devices from malware, like keyloggers that secretly collect your data.

It scans for threats in real-time and removes harmful software, including adware that gathers your information.

Incogni

Incogni works by asking data brokers to delete your personal information from their databases.

It also monitors brokers to ensure your data isn’t collected or sold again.

Surfshark pricing

Surfshark One Package

Includes all listed products except Incogni.

• £1.89 per month for a 24-month plan
• £2.69 per month for a 12-month plan
• £13.69 for a rolling one-month plan

Surfshark One+ Package

Includes Incogni along with all other listed products.

• £2.99 per month for a 24-month plan.
• £4.79 per month for a 12-month plan.
• £14.99 for a rolling one-month plan.

Surfshark Starter Package

Includes only the VPN and Alternative ID.

• £1.49 per month for a 24-month plan.
• £2.59 per month for a 12-month plan.
• £12.29 per month for a rolling one-month plan

Your digital footprint is inevitable, but you don’t have to leave yourself exposed.

With some smart online habits and tools like Surfshark, you can take control of your privacy and enjoy the internet safely.