Doxing refers to the collection of a user’s private information, across multiple platforms (including social media) by an unauthorized individual, who then publishes the information in an attempt to shame or embarrass the user.
The safety and wellbeing of our university community remains our highest priority. DePaul does not condone or tolerate harassment, including online harassment. Every report of harassment within our community will be investigated and those responsible may be subject to disciplinary action. The following guide is meant to support individuals facing online harassment by providing strategies to navigate this issue safely and effectively and offering campus resources.
Ways to prevent doxxing:
- Adjust your social media settings
- Ensure that your profiles, usernames/handles are kept private
- Remove any addresses, places of work, and specific locations from your accounts
- Set your posts to “friends only"
- Avoid discussing personal information that could be used against you, as well as
- Anything that can identify your address, workplace or contact information
- Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- If you must use public wi-fi, turn off the public network sharing functionality on your device
- Use strong passwords
- Vary usernames and passwords across platforms
- Hide domain registration information from WHOIS (a database of all registered domain names on the web
Campus resources for reporting doxing incidents:
- Information Services: Students may email security@depaul.edu or call 312-362-8200, to report instances of harassment using DePaul computing resources | Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.