Impact of our digital footprint on the Internet and its associated risks

Digital Footprint and Social Engineering: How Online Exposure Fuels Cyberattacks

The Shift to Cyberspace
Technological advances have transformed how we live, work, and interact. Beyond physical conveniences, the most profound change is the rise of cyberspace—a parallel environment where interactions are shaped by individual perceptions, behaviors, and identities. Every interaction leaves behind a digital footprint: the sum of all information about a person available online, from casual photos to sensitive personal data.

The Risk of Social Engineering
Just as in the physical world, cyberspace has its dangers. Attackers leverage emotional and motivational vulnerabilities through social engineering.

• Phishing: Mass-distributed fraudulent messages seeking to trick recipients.
• Spear phishing: Personalized, targeted attacks designed to be more convincing and harder to detect.

The more publicly available information about an individual—such as tastes, routines, and job details—the easier it is for attackers to craft convincing messages.

Case Study: Zed
Zed, a young woman, received a message from a “distant friend” on Facebook asking for help voting in an online competition. After a system “crash,” the friend requested her account password to restore the votes. Trusting the request, Zed complied—unwittingly giving access to a malicious attacker.

The attacker exploited her data, including her passport, bank details, and private photos, changed her passwords, and enabled two-factor authentication to lock her out. They then escalated the harassment, threatening to publish explicit content unless she complied with further demands.

Why Zed Was Targeted

• The attacker had detailed knowledge of her lifestyle from public posts.
• They impersonated someone she genuinely knew.
• They tailored the approach to increase emotional pressure.

This highlights how digital footprint data—combined with trust manipulation—can make spear phishing devastatingly effective.

Potential Consequences

• Confidentiality breach: Unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• Loss of availability: Locked-out accounts and systems.
• Reputational and emotional harm: Public exposure of personal content.
• Workplace risk: If attacks occur on company devices or accounts.

Reducing Vulnerability

1. Limit personal information shared publicly.
2. Be wary of any request for credentials, even from known contacts.
3. Verify suspicious requests through a separate communication channel.
4. Understand your own greatest vulnerabilities so they can be addressed.

Kymatio’s Approach
By identifying each employee’s exposure level and reinforcing awareness on an individual basis, Kymatio helps organizations reduce the risk of social engineering attacks.