Dox

Dox, also known as doxing, is a form of cyber attack involving researching and publicly sharing a person’s private or identifiable information without their permission. It is commonly used to scare, discredit, or harass people offline or online. The term originated from “dropping dox,” as in dropping a person’s identifying information.

In doxing, attackers gather pieces of information about a target without permission. This can include the victim’s name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security number, credit card information, personal photos, online accounts, even medical records. They then typically post, publish, or otherwise share this information online or via other mediums.

Doxing can take place in various ways. Attackers may use search engines, social networking sites, public databases, data broker sites, and other online sources to find and assemble the pieces of information they need. This makes doxing a relatively simple task for anyone who knows how to Google search.

Doxing is considered a form of cyber bullying and can have serious consequences for victims, including job loss, harassment, physical violence, social stigma, and legal entanglements. Therefore, it is important for individuals to be aware of their online presence and practice safe Internet habits.