Each time you share your data over the internet, you put your privacy and safety at risk. Malicious internet criminals would love to steal and misuse your confidential information. Like most people, you probably think that using a VPN to browse anonymously is sufficient. Although the tool will prevent others from tracking your web activities, it cannot protect your metadata. Hackers want your credit card information, yes, but they can also misuse your metadata if they find it online. If you do not remove your metadata from various documents you share online, you are not safe at all. You probably do not know what this is all about. So we will describe metadata next.
Metadata – An overview
The simplest definition of metadata is that it refers to data about another piece of information. It comes into two classes: descriptive and structural metadata. Metadata is not harmful by itself. However, leaving it embedded in your private documents can disclose sensitive data about your life. Devices such as computers and mobile phones attach metadata to the digital files they create. These small pieces of data can be about your company, name, location, devices, and more. If you share your digital files without removing metadata, you can risk losing it to a web criminal. Various examples of metadata you should be careful with include:
When sharing confidential data online, be careful about the type of metadata you are showing others. Even when you do not want your friends to share your data, they can still do it. So you cannot be sure of where your metadata might be in the future.
Why you must delete metadata from your documents
Metadata appears in virtually every digital file you make. If you share these files on social media websites or elsewhere, someone could access your metadata and learn more about you. The main reason for not sending your documents with metadata is to maintain your data privacy and security.
Unless you need metadata for copyright purposes, erase it from your files before you share them online. While the websites you often upload your files to may use them safely to filter, sort, and archive your files, they may not protect the metadata within them. It is possible to remove metadata manually. Nevertheless, the task is both time-consuming. So, next, we will describe how to remove your metadata before sharing your files online.
How can you remove metadata?
One can choose to remove metadata automatically or manually. However, if you deal with lots of documents containing sensitive metadata, try the automatic method to save time and increase accuracy.
How to handle metadata more responsibly
Even though there are methods for removing metadata from sensitive files, take easy steps to create less of it. First, save your files in a format that does not keep metadata. For instance, you can use PNG file format for your images instead of JPEG. Secondly, get into a habit of using a metadata cleaner.
Automatic metadata cleaners identify and delete this type of data quickly. Concerning the devices, you use to create data, change their default configuration options to limit the quantity of metadata they can keep. Lastly, never send any file or upload it to any website without viewing the metadata it contains.
The best metadata cleaner is MetaCleaner.com
MetaCleaner is the closest you can get to an all-inclusive and professional online metadata remover. It enables you to remove metadata from over 40 different file formats directly on their websites. MetaCleaner promisesencrypted communicationand privacy, along with GDPR compliance.
For more information on how to clean metadata and secure your files from any other risk factors, please visitwww.metacleaner.comnow!