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How To Manage Your Digital Footprint

Posted on 1 October 202521 October 2025 by Vivienne Fouche

Protect your personal data – how much key information are you really exposing?

Wherever there are people, there are those who decide to prey on them – this is true for the digital world just as much as the physical. And so, before you take the fun-looking quiz that popped up in your social media feed, think twice – and learn how to manage your digital footprint!

Do you really need to know what your ‘spooky Halloween’, ‘Harry Potter alter ego’ or ‘professional wrestler’ names are, based on a combination of – let’s say – your birth month, the first letter of your name, your street address details and the name of your pets / children?

It’s clear how easy it is to start building up personal information about you based on some of those details.

Most of us have had these seemingly innocent quizzes popping up on our social media feeds at some point. But the software program that’s going to send back the amusing ‘answer’ based on the personal information you shared… might just be a hacker.

Individual pieces of data may seem harmless, but when collected, they can tell a detailed story about your habits, preferences and even personal details like your birthday or location, which allows cybercriminals to go deeper into your online profile for their own personal gain.

Let’s look at ‘digital footprints’ and how much personal information you are actually exposing to the underworld.

Footprints Across the World Wide Web

Manage your digital footprint — Learn how to manage your digital footprint!

A digital footprint means the trail of data you leave when using the Internet, and it can be used to track a person’s online activities and devices. Internet users create their digital footprint either actively or passively, through everyday activities that create it such as social media, browsing, shopping, apps and location services.

The types of data being exposed includes personally identifiable information (PII) such as a phone number or ID number, your financial data, browsing and shopping habits, location tracking, and metadata, including information about your device, your IP address and cookies. Your digital footprint can be used legitimately enough for targeted advertising, when companies use your data to categorise you and show you personalised ads; as well as for data analysis, when companies use technology to collect and analyse this data to build profiles about you – let’s say to offer you better service as a customer.

More sinisterly, though, a comprehensive footprint makes you an attractive target for hackers and scammers and puts you at risk of identity theft and scams. And everyone should be aware that your reputation and potential employment can also be affected, because your online activity can be seen by potential employers.

We look at how to reduce your online footprint.

Active Versus Passive

Active digital footprints take place when the Internet user has deliberately shared information about themselves. They include:

- Social media posts, comments and messages;

- Emails and newsletters you send and receive;

- Online purchases and shopping history; and

- Website content you upload or download.

Passive digital footprints are created when information is collected about the user without them being aware that this is happening. They include:

- Internet browsing and search history;
- Location data from your phone or devices;
- Data collected by cookies on websites; and
- Information from apps and wearable devices.

Online Privacy Tips to Protect Your Personal Data and Reduce Your Online Footprint

Here are some tips for protecting your personal data and help you to manage your digital footprint.

Double-check your privacy settings on social media to control who sees your posts.
Use search engines to check your digital footprint: You could contact the site administrator to see if information about you that you find can be removed. You could also set up Google alerts to keep an eye on your name.
Avoid oversharing on social media: Think twice before revealing your location or travel plans, or other personal information like your phone number or email address.
Avoid unsafe websites: Make sure you’re transacting with a secure website – the URL should start with https:// rather than http:// – the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’ and indicates that the site has a security certificate. There should also be a padlock icon to the left of the address bar.
Don’t send personal information on public Wi-Fi: A public Wi-Fi network is less secure than your personal one.
Delete old accounts: This reduces your exposure to potential data breaches.
Create strong passwords and use a password manager: Using a password manager will help generate, store and manage all your passwords in one secure online account.
Don’t log in with Facebook: Every time you sign into a third-party website using your Facebook credentials, you give that company permission to mine your Facebook user data.
Keep software up to date: Cybercriminals can access a victim’s devices and data by exploiting vulnerabilities in software. You can help prevent this by keeping your software up to date.
Review your mobile use: Set a passcode for your mobile device, and when installing an app, read the user agreement. Is the app possibly going to mine personal data like your email, location and online activities?
Act fast after a breach: If a financial loss is involved, contact your bank or credit card provider. Change passwords that might have been exposed.
Use a VPN: Using a virtual private network, or VPN, can help safeguard your digital footprint. This is because VPNs mask your IP address which makes your online actions virtually untraceable.

Digital footprints matter because cybercriminals can exploit your digital footprint, for example using it for phishing for account access, or creating false identities based on your data. You can’t erase your digital footprint entirely, but you can control its visibility.

Why not use the steps outlined here to look at your online presence today and see how you can make your digital footprint more manageable, to better protect your online privacy and yourself?

Keeping your digital privacy in South Africa (and around the globe) safer and more secure will help to keep your banking and other details private and therefore safer, in turn bringing you increased peace of mind.

The message is clear: no more funny quizzes to find out your Harry Potter alter ego, because there’s nothing at all magical about being hacked.

Vox has teamed up with Norton to help individuals and also families to stay safe online – you can block hackers from accessing your devices, keep your online activity private and better protect your identity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a digital footprint?
A digital footprint is the trail of information you leave online from actions like social posts, searches, purchases and app use. It includes active data you deliberately share and passive data collected about your device, location and browsing habits.

Why does my digital footprint matter?
Your digital footprint can be used for personalised services and ads, but it also makes you a target for scams, identity theft and reputation risks — for example, employers or fraudsters may view or use that information.

How can I check what’s in my digital footprint?
Start by Googling your name, checking social profiles, and using Google Alerts for your name. Review privacy settings on social sites and request removal from sites or directories that publish your personal details.

What simple steps help manage your digital footprint?
Limit what you share on social media, tighten privacy settings, delete old accounts, use strong unique passwords with a password manager, and avoid logging into third‑party sites with Facebook or Google where possible.

Are online quizzes and personality apps safe?
Many quizzes ask for pieces of personal data that, when combined, can be exploited. Treat them sceptically — don’t give out real birthdates, ID numbers, addresses or your mother’s maiden name for a bit of fun.

How can I protect personal data on my mobile device and apps?
Set a passcode or biometric lock, check app permissions before installing (location, contacts, microphone), update apps and the OS regularly, and avoid using public Wi‑Fi for sensitive transactions unless you use a trusted VPN.

What should I do if my personal data is exposed in a breach?
Act quickly: change passwords, notify your bank or card provider if financial details were involved, enable two‑factor authentication, and monitor accounts for unauthorised activity or identity fraud.

Will a VPN and password manager improve my digital privacy?
Yes. A reputable VPN masks your IP and helps protect activity on public networks, while a password manager generates and stores strong unique passwords — together they significantly reduce your exposure when managing your digital footprint.

Sustainability and Telecom Businesses: Why Green is the Way to Go

Posted on 2 August 2024 by Vivienne Fouche

Business Benefits for Organisations Aiming to Reduce their Carbon Footprint

We are living in interesting times.

A number of local events so far are all pointing to this year going down in history as being a big one. To name just a few, this includes the 2024 local national elections resulting in a Government of National Unity (GNU); the recent floods in parts of the country, including the Western and Eastern Cape areas and KZN; and an actual tornado in the Durban area.

This year’s local historic events also include the 2024 Springbok Home Fixtures Rugby series, which is truly juicy (and did you know that you could win double tickets with Vox?).

So it’s a big year for South Africans.

But if we circle back to those extreme weather incidents, it reminds us that the planet seems to be fighting back against humanity’s eco-unfriendly practices – and let’s face it, no one wants a tornado to hit one of those big rugby games.

Tornado near Tongaat, Durban, in June 2024 (Image courtesy of The Witness)

More seriously: the call to action for businesses and consumers alike must therefore be: Embrace Sustainability.

(And the same goes for the GNU also, of course, but that’s a ‘wilde-beast’ of a story all on its own.)

For the Planet – And Future Generations

Most people today agree that people – individuals, organisations, countries – MUST become more environmentally sustainable. We all rely on the Earth’s resources for the air that we breathe; water to drink; plants and animals for food; wood and metals for construction; and fuels, whether fossil or renewable, for energy resources.

If we use them up too fast, and if we burn energy unsustainably so that it over-heats the planet, these resources won’t be there fore future generations. We must bring our consumption in line with what our planet can support.

Spotlight On the Telecommunications Industry

The telecoms industry is vital for allowing our world to remain connected – but it also has a considerable negative impact on the environment.

Data centres on their own account for about one percent of the world’s electricity use, and the telecom industry overall produces about three to four percent of global CO2 emissions. To put this into perspective, it is twice as much as the civil aviation industry[1].

This is quite a significant amount to come from an industry that at first glance doesn’t seem to be directly associated with environmental concerns.

In addition, the telecoms sector also contributes to electronic waste through rapid device turnover, when outdated cell phones, modems and routers often end up in landfills, creating an additional environmental challenge.

With the growing concern over climate change, the telecoms sector is now embracing more sustainable practices, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint significantly.

Solutions to reduce carbon footprint in the telecommunications industry include the following:

Embracing renewable energy: In moving towards reduced carbon emissions, it makes sense to shift towards renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to run data centres and network operations.
Smart energy management in operations: Energy consumption and in turn operational costs can be reduced by upgrading equipment to more energy-efficient models, optimising network operations, and implementing smart cooling systems in data centres.
Equipment sustainability: Manufacturers can design more durable devices that are easy to repair and upgrade, which will extend their lifespans.

Creating a circular economy: Programmes for the recovery and recycling of electronic equipment contribute to reducing electronic waste overall.
Eco-friendly infrastructure development: Adopting eco-friendly design and construction practices for new infrastructure sites includes using sustainable materials, minimising land use, and ensuring that new projects have a low environmental impact.

The carbon footprint of telecommunications presents significant environmental challenges, but there is hope. Through initiatives like renewable energy usage, equipment sustainability, and consumer and business awareness, real progress can be made in reducing its impact.

At the same time, extreme weather conditions such as flooding, storms, a lack of water, and wildfires have potentially disastrous consequences for telecommunications, causing damage to infrastructure and essential equipment, as well as business- and supply-chain interruption. If the world as a whole embraces sustainability issues, we can hope to reduce these natural disasters.

Business Benefits for Telcos in Going Green

As far back as 2022, multinational professional services experts Ernst and Young (EY) urged South African businesses to embrace sustainability issues voluntarily before they were made essentially compulsory for all. However, never mind being forced to embrace global trends: there are actually intrinsic business benefits for telcos around the world, including locally, in ‘going green’ anyway.

Energy cost reduction feeds into improved OPEX: In 2023 the GSMA, the global technology standards organisation for mobile operators from over 100 countries, published a report entitled: “Green is good for business: making the financial case in telecoms”.

According to the report, mobile telecom operators can potentially reduce operational expenses (OPEX) by 4% through a 20% reduction in energy costs, achieved by implementing power-saving technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and lithium-ion batteries.

New customers: Additionally, the report notes that customers worldwide are willing to support telecom operators that invest in sustainability. The study reveals that 30 to 60 percent of telco subscribers surveyed in 16 countries would be willing to pay more for mobile airtime tariffs certified as carbon neutral.
Reputational wins: In a follow-up report entitled: “Green is good for business: the reputational in telecoms”, the GSMA notes: “The reputational impact of corporate green credentials and actions extends to brand perception and purchasing decisions. …Analysis of data from a recent GSMA Intelligence survey indicates that 60 percent of people, on average across 16 countries studied, consider climate or sustainability criteria an active part of product purchasing.”

The lesson is clear: by investing in sustainable practices and driving the adoption of digital solutions, telecom operators can contribute to their own financial success through reduced energy and operating costs, a potential increase in eco-friendly customers, and reputational and branding wins, while simultaneously supporting global sustainability efforts within the industry overall.

Proudly Green

The journey towards a smaller carbon footprint in the telecom industry is complex and requires a multi-faceted approach. This commitment benefits the environment and also sets a new standard for responsible business practices in the digital age.

Overall, reduced energy consumption, the adoption of renewable energy sources and the implementation of a carbon reduction strategy are the three vital elements that must work in tandem for a telco to be considered green.

Vox is always proud to work with telecommunications partners that are committed to environmental sustainability issues, for the overall benefit of the country and the planet in turn. After all, you just have to look at our own branding to know that our blood runs green (and gold).

[1] https://explore.intellias.com/hubfs/Whitepapers/Intellias_Sustainability_In_Telecom_Whitepaper.pdf page 4

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