The dream of becoming popular through blogging is a widely held goal. Who wouldn’t want to be successful, earn enough to live comfortably, and have access to influential people? It’s definitely possible – and has been done – through content creation, social, and a bit of personality through this wonderful thing we call the World Wide Web.

Like with everything, though, there are drawbacks.

The troll culture of the Internet has painted a dark cloud over what is otherwise a welcoming and vibrant platform. These individuals have little moral compass; they attack others for the sake of attacking. One of the most common ways of doing so is through “doxing” – revealing personal information – without the consent of the individual.

The Very Real Problem of Doxing

You wouldn’t think this to be a big deal since a lot of this information is already available through social media platforms and what you’ve shared through your blog. Yet, there’s always a personal side that you’d want to keep away from the limelight.

Items like:

• Family connections
• Financial information
• Physical (home) location

And really, any other information that doesn’t go beyond your close circle of family and friends.

Protecting your online privacy is important, even if you’re opening yourself to the public by embracing your popularity. When you’re sharing information through your blog, it’s under your disclosure; information in the wrong hands can cause a host of troubles. This wasn’t your intention.

Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy

There are a variety of ways to protect your privacy while becoming a well-known blogger.

Mailbox Forwarding

The first is with a mailbox forwarding service which can act as your business mailbox in place of using your personal, home address. This service will reroute fan and business mail, update what’s been delivered with smartphone updates, and let you control mail forwarding. 

It’s a wonderful service for those that want to accept submissions from followers or other businesses while keeping private and avoiding any potential, nasty mail that could come to your home.

Online Backups & Encryption

The second is using encrypted online backups in combination with password management services which will protect your important files from hardware or software failure and lock your password behind strong encryption. 

Regular backups are essential for security in the event of a home invasion and theft, natural disaster, or cyber-attack. The encrypted password will help prevent unauthorized access to your blog and other accounts to prevent data leaks. These are fundamental actions for online security that go together with privacy.

Discretion

The third being in control of information flow meaning that you’re not revealing too much information about your private life. Yes, a blog is a great platform to share your personal triumphs, struggles, experiences, and knowledge but it’s also an open platform for people to phish for information. 

Refrain from divulging too much information to the community. Set limits with what you’re sharing and who you’re opening to in private conversations.

Awareness

The fourth and final suggestion is to educate yourself about vulnerabilities. A few have already been covered but it’s your duty to keep up-to-date about the latest attacks and techniques used by individuals to access private information. You don’t have to become an expert. 

What you can do is follow security news and privacy happenings to arm yourself with knowledge of how information was accessed and leaked to the public. This will help you avoid pitfalls with the security measures you put in place and learn about the new products and services that will help with data protection.

Conclusion

All-in-all, the characteristics of a successful blogger tends to lean toward transparency. While this is a great way to identify with your audience, it also opens you to potential attacks. Be aware there are those that will search for skeletons in your closet or try to disrupt you just for the sake of doing so. Find balance in what you’re sharing your efforts in blogging and growth in branding and popularity.

What actions do you take to protect your privacy as you’re becoming well-known?