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Your personal information is on the internet, here’s how to remove it

1 Jul 2015 | Eve A. Baker Marine Corps Base Quantico

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – In the wake of recent threats from terrorist organizations and with the rise of identity theft, many people are concerned about the volume of personally identifiable information that is available online.

According to Darcy Hotchkiss, special projects and social media lead for Headquarters Marine Corps Cybersecurity Division, “There are many legitimate uses of public information. For example, people trying to find family members or friends they have not seen in years can find addresses, phone numbers and email accounts.” Further, said Hotchkiss, “Research on topics such as birth certificates, real estate purchases, sales records, lawsuits and marriage licenses is generally legitimate.”

However, as Hotchkiss explained, the same information can also be used for illicit purposes such as identity theft and financial gain on the part of criminals. According to Ron McGarvey, threat assessment officer for Marine Corps Base Quantico, “Identity theft is the biggest reason” people should be concerned that their information is available online.

For many people, the threat of the illicit use of their information outweighs the benefits of the legitimate use. To assist people in reducing the amount and type of PII posted on the internet, Cybersecurity Division recently published the Public People Search Database Removal Guide.

People search databases “gather information that is available in existing public records” and make it more readily available to anyone with an internet connection free of charge or for a fee, according to the guide. As stated in the guide, “These sites operate on implicit consent, which means individuals have to explicitly opt out of each website in order to discontinue access to personal data from the online records.”

The guide provides detailed instructions on how to opt out of 10 different people search websites, along with Google. According to the guide, “Some of the sites allow individuals to opt out through requests online while others require individuals to upload a copy of a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license to complete the process. It is recommended that the photo and the ID number be blacked out before submitting the copy to the site.”

Hotchkiss recommends that people “stay vigilant and check your online presence at least every six months to see what you look like in the virtual space.  Keep up with the removal process for yourself and family.”

The full guide is available on the Marine Corps Base Quantico website at http://www.quantico.marines.mil/OfficesStaff/G3Operations/MissionAssuranceBranch.aspx

ebaker@quanticosentryonline.com


Marine Corps Base Quantico