An Executive Guide to Limit Digital Exposure

Your personal data—home address, phone number, email, and family details—can easily be harvested from public sources and used for stalking, fraud, impersonation, or harassment. This guide outlines simple steps executives and families can take to reduce their digital exposure and strengthen their personal security. Even small changes in online behavior can significantly lower your risk of being targeted.

Social Media Hygiene

• Set Accounts to Private: Limit visibility of personal posts. Review followers/friends regularly.
• Don’t Overshare: Avoid posting real-time location updates, travel plans, or family schedules.
• Separate Business & Personal Use: Create a professional account for public-facing activity. Use corporate emails for work-related platforms.
• Secure Children’s Accounts: Ensure minors’ profiles are private and supervised.
  

Browsing & Digital Behavior

• Use a VPN on all devices, especially on public WiFi.
• Disable ad trackers using tools like Privacy Badger or uBlock Origin.
• Use burner emails for shopping or online sign-ups to prevent spam and data leaks.
• Clear browser data regularly and consider privacy-focused browsers like Firefox or Brave to minimize digital tracking.

Protect Yourself and Limit Exposure

• Opt Out of high-risk data broker sites, focusing on removing your home address, phone numbers, email addresses, and names of family members.
• Freeze Your Credit, if Feasible to block anyone from opening new accounts in your name using leaked or stolen data.
• Control Smartphone Tracking:
  • On iPhones, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services to disable location access for non-essential apps and turn off “Precise Location” for added privacy.
  • On Android devices, go to Settings > Location > App permissions to manage which apps can access your location and restrict background tracking.
• Use a Separate Email Address for online shopping, newsletters, and discounts to reduce data sharing and spam.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on key accounts to protect against unauthorized access and phishing.
• Delete Unused Apps and browser extensions that may collect data or increase your digital exposure.

PII Removal Steps

Senior executives are often targeted by bad actors who exploit publicly available personal information, such as home addresses, phone numbers, emails, and even family member names. Even those who “fly under the radar” can appear in online databases without realizing it.

How to Check if You’re Exposed

1. Search Your Full Name + Address or Phone Number
2. Try different combinations in Google or another search engine. Add terms like:

• "John Smith" + "123 Main St"
• "John Smith" + "cell number"
• "John Smith" + "city + state"

Look for Data Aggregator Sites

If your name appears on websites offering background checks or contact information (like Whitepages, Spokeo, or MyLife), your data is likely stored across multiple platforms.

Use Incognito Mode

To see what the public sees, open a private or incognito browser window so search results aren’t influenced by your personal browsing history.

Tips for Getting Your Information Removed

• Manual Removals Take Time: Each data broker has its own opt-out process, which may require submitting a form or confirming an email. Start with the sites that appear highest in your search results. 
• Be Persistent: Information can reappear due to periodic database refreshes. Consider setting calendar reminders to recheck quarterly.
• Use Automated Services: If you prefer not to manage this manually, certain services can continuously monitor and remove your information from dozens of high-traffic data broker sites.

Special Considerations for Families

Encourage spouses and adult children to perform the same checks. Threat actors often exploit softer targets within a high-profile individual’s circle.

If minors’ information appears online, contact the site directly or escalate through corporate security if removal is denied.