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Protect Yourself Using Desktop Search

Posted on March 20, 2008

Must people accumulate lots of stuff; digital stuff is no exception. We’ve got mounds of files and other documents on our computers at home, work and in our various email accounts. Over time we’re bound to let some of our private information seep out and end up in places we don’t want it to be. Using desktop search products (e.g. Google Desktop or Windows Search) you can instantly search your files for occurrences of your social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers and any other information you’d prefer not to have floating around.

When searching for items like social security numbers, be sure to look for multiple formats, e.g. “xxx-xxx-xxxx” and “xxxxxxxxxx”).

While you’re at it, you might want to perform the same searches in your email accounts. Many email services provide excellent search capabilities.

Don’t forget to clear your search history when you’re done so you don’t leave any additional crumbs.

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