Doxing is the malicious identification and online publication of information about an individual. The information can be personal details such as a home address or phone number, or other private or damaging content. Attackers often build the profile by combining scraps from social media, public records and breached data.
- Also Called1other namedoxxing
- Related Terms3linked entriesSocial engineering · Leaked credentials
- Read Next1guide on the same topicDigital Risk Protection 101
How does doxing work?
The Center for Internet Security describes doxing as the malicious identification and online publication of information about an individual. It says attackers gather data from social media, publicly available records, paid data services and illicitly obtained information such as compromised accounts. Each piece may look harmless on its own. Joined together, they form a profile that can be used to harass or threaten someone.
- Data is gatheredSocial media, public records, paid data services and illicitly obtained information.
- Pieces are joinedEach piece may look harmless alone; together they form a profile.
- The profile is published onlineThe Center for Internet Security calls this malicious identification and publication.
- It is used to harass or threatenExposure can lead to harassment, stalking or impersonation.
Why does it matter?
Doxing targets people, but it affects organizations too. Executives, public-facing staff and security teams can be targeted, and the exposure can lead to harassment, stalking or impersonation. A leaked staff address or phone number can also help social engineering against the company.
How do you reduce the risk?
- Share less personal information online, and tighten social media privacy settings.
- Search for your own name and contact details regularly to see what is public.
- Ask sites that hold your details to remove them.
- Use separate, strong passwords and a second sign-in step so breached accounts cannot be used for more.
- If you are in the US and are being targeted, consider reporting it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- For organizations, watch for exposure of executive and staff details, and have a plan for staff who are targeted.
Brandefense Executive Protection helps find exposed details of leaders and key staff. See also the use case executive and VIP protection.
Related pages in the Knowledge Hub
Also Called.
- Namedoxxing
Questions.
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What does doxing mean?
Doxing means finding and publishing private information about a person to harm, expose or harass them.
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How do doxers find information?
The CIS says they use social media, public records, paid data services and illicitly obtained data such as compromised accounts.
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How can you protect yourself from doxing?
Share less online, set social media accounts to private, search for your own details regularly and ask sites to remove them.
Sources
In Our Research
- 1 VIP Security Beyond the Bodyguard: Why Digital Protection Is the New Executive Priority July 2026
- 2 Social engineering Glossary term