A digital identity refers to an identity that people, organisations or even an electronic devices have presented themselves as online or through a network (Techopedia, 2016). The users could choose to adopt more than one digital identity through more than one community. A digital identity is made up of many characteristics that aim towards making somewhat detailed identity for the user. Examples of requested data would be;
- Username/email address
- Password
- Street/mailing address
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Credit card details
(Digital Identity Bank – Oliver Ashton, 2012)
Depending on the type of website the users are involved in will alter the types of information required. On social media websites, some individuals withhold personal information to a certain extent. This ensures that their digital identity is not as detailed, resulting in higher digital security. Many individuals have little to no concept of how to maintain a privacy within their digital identity. They might share private information, such as a personal address, which could result in not only digital identity theft, but also stalking in the ‘real world’.
(Emaze, Undated)
The main areas of concern with digital identity is security and privacy. On social media identity theft is a major issue. People can adopt whichever identity they want. They can show other users what they choose to show. This could be photos of themselves, or destination they have visited, or it could be fabricated lies used to appear different online or even using another users photos to appear as someone else entirely. Other websites may be used for online shopping which in turn required bank or credit card details. With low digital security, this information could be stolen resulting in theft of your money.
“…the goal for information security is to protect information from unauthorised access, destruction, or alteration” (Windley, 2005). Ways to increase digital security is to create a strong password that is not obvious, such as your date of birth or mother’s maiden name. This will make it harder for ‘hackers’ to penetrate the security of the website and steal personal information. Users could also think of using different usernames and passwords, if possible, for different media platforms as well as perhaps changing their password every few months to ensure a higher digital security.
Reference List:
Digital Identity. (2016). Retrieved from Techopedia Inc: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/23915/digital-identity
Windley, P. (2005). Digital Identity . Sebastopol: O’Reilly Media Inc.
Teaching and Learning in the Digital World 