OSINT for Beginners: How to Find and Remove Your Personal Info From the Internet

Cybrvault
Oct 10
6 min read

In today’s hyper-connected digital world, your personal information is more public than ever. Even if you think you’re careful online, remnants of your digital life — old social media accounts, online forum posts, leaked emails, or publicly accessible government records — can expose sensitive details.

These digital breadcrumbs are often collected by hackers, identity thieves, and scammers to target individuals or entire organizations. For residents and businesses in Miami, FL, this is especially critical because South Florida ranks among the top regions in the U.S. for online fraud, data breaches, and identity theft.

OSINT, or Open-Source Intelligence, is the practice of collecting publicly available information from a wide array of sources. While it’s a technique often used by cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and law enforcement, you can leverage it to protect yourself and your family.

This guide will teach beginners how to find your personal information online and remove it safely, step by step. By following these strategies, you’ll reduce your risk of identity theft, social engineering attacks, and unwanted exposure.

What Is OSINT?

OSINT stands for Open-Source Intelligence. Unlike secretive hacking or illegal surveillance, OSINT involves collecting information that is freely and legally available online.

Professionals use OSINT to:

Conduct cybersecurity assessments
Monitor digital footprints
Track security threats
Verify identities for investigations

For individuals, OSINT is a tool to discover how much personal data about you is exposed online. This includes your name, email, phone number, home or business addresses, social media accounts, professional affiliations, and publicly posted images or documents. OSINT isn’t inherently malicious — it’s about awareness and prevention. By seeing what others can see, you can take control of your online identity.

Why Your Personal Information Matters

Your personal information is like currency to cybercriminals. Here’s what it can be used for:

Phishing and Social Engineering: Hackers use your details to craft convincing emails or phone calls.
Identity Theft: Criminals can open accounts, take loans, or commit fraud in your name.
Doxxing or Harassment: Sensitive data like addresses or phone numbers can be misused.
Password Guessing: Hackers can use publicly available info (birthdays, pet names) to crack accounts.
Targeted Scams: Your data can be sold to marketers or cybercriminals for further exploitation.

For Miami residents, being in a high-density, high-profile city increases your digital visibility. Businesses, professionals, and retirees in South Florida are prime targets for data-driven scams.

Step 1: Start With a Personal Data Search

The first step in OSINT is to know what’s out there. This involves searching your name, emails, phone numbers, and usernames online.

Search Operators for Deeper Results:

"John Doe Miami" — name and city
"johndoe@gmail.com" — email search
"305-555-1234" — phone number search
"1234 Coral Way Miami" — address search
"JohnD123" or "@JohnD123" — username search

Pro tip: Search in Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Each engine indexes different content. For more comprehensive results, try queries like:

"site:linkedin.com John Doe Miami" — checks LinkedIn mentions
"site:facebook.com John Doe" — social media mentions

After your search, create a spreadsheet of all URLs and locations where your information appears. This will make it easier to remove or request removal.

Step 2: Check Data Broker Sites

Data brokers collect and sell personal information, often without your explicit consent. These sites aggregate your data from public records, social media, and online activity.

Top Data Brokers

Whitepages
Spokeo
BeenVerified
Intelius
MyLife
Radaris
PeopleFinder

How to Remove Yourself:

Locate your profile URL on the broker site.
Follow the site’s opt-out procedure (often found in the privacy or FAQ section).
Submit required information — usually your name, address, and email. Some sites may request a photo ID, which you should redact for security.

Pro tip: Create a temporary email address specifically for opt-out requests to reduce spam.

Miami Context: Many South Florida residents’ information is already on multiple broker sites due to public property records, professional listings, and real estate databases. Regular monitoring is crucial.

Step 3: Remove Old Social Media and Online Accounts

Old accounts often expose personal information that you may have forgotten about.

Audit Your Online Presence:

Delete unused accounts: Old forums, blogs, and social media profiles.
Check for breached accounts: Use https://haveibeenpwned.com/
to see if your email or phone number has been compromised.
Update privacy settings: Limit who can see your posts, friend lists, and contact information.
Remove sensitive content: Photos, location tags, and personal identifiers.

Even a single exposed photo or minor detail can be used to infer more about you. Hackers and OSINT investigators can piece together your profile using small, seemingly harmless information.

Step 4: Monitor Search Results Regularly

After cleaning up your digital footprint, set up alerts to track new mentions:

Google Alerts Setup:

"John Doe Miami"
"johndoe@gmail.com"
"Cybrvault Cybersecurity"

Alerts notify you when your name or email appears online, allowing you to act quickly and remove content before it spreads.

Tip: Check the Deep Web and paste sites (like Pastebin or Ghostbin) periodically, as hackers sometimes post leaked info there.

Step 5: Protect Your Future Privacy

Once your personal information is cleaned up, it’s important to maintain digital hygiene.

Practical Steps for Individuals:

Use a VPN: Encrypt your internet connection and hide your IP address.
Avoid oversharing: Limit location tags and family details on social media.
Unique passwords: Never reuse passwords across accounts.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adds a layer of protection on sensitive accounts.
Opt out of marketing databases: Reduce how much data brokers can collect.

For Businesses in Miami:

Implement OSINT monitoring to track company mentions online.
Conduct regular vulnerability assessments for your website.
Educate employees on phishing and social engineering tactics.
Consider professional services for reputation and digital footprint management.

Step 6: Use OSINT Tools Responsibly

Several tools can help automate OSINT searches for personal or professional use. Always use legally and ethically.

Recommended Tools:

Spiderfoot HX – Automated OSINT scanning for websites, IPs, and emails.
IntelX – Checks breaches, leaks, and dark web listings.
Maltego – Maps relationships between people, domains, and emails.
Have I Been Pwned – Identifies compromised emails and breached accounts.

Warning: Do not use these tools to target others. OSINT is for your own information or authorized audits only.

Step 7: Advanced Strategies for Miami Residents

South Florida has a high concentration of real estate activity, tourism, and professional services, which increases online exposure.

Additional Measures:

Scrub public property records: Check county databases for personal info exposure.
Monitor local business directories: Small businesses often expose emails and phone numbers.
Regularly review social media tags: Photos tagged in Miami neighborhoods can reveal your location.
Protect business websites: Hackers often target small Miami businesses with weak security.

Cybrvault Cybersecurity can help implement professional OSINT audits, website monitoring, and home/business digital protection for South Florida residents.

Step 8: Professional Help and Ongoing Monitoring

Even after cleaning up your data, continuous monitoring is key.Cybrvault offers:

OSINT audits for individuals and businesses
Digital footprint cleanup services
Threat monitoring and alerts
Website and network security assessments

This ensures that new personal data does not appear online, and you are notified if a breach occurs.

Your personal information is valuable and vulnerable, especially in high-profile areas like Miami, FL. By using OSINT responsibly, you can discover what is publicly available about you, remove it, and maintain privacy online.

Key Takeaways:

Search for your personal information using search engines and data brokers.
Remove old social media and online accounts.
Monitor your digital footprint regularly.
Implement long-term security strategies like VPNs, MFA, and data minimization.
Consider professional OSINT services for enhanced protection.

Taking control of your online identity is not just a technical task — it’s a critical step in protecting yourself, your family, and your business from identity theft, scams, and cyber attacks!