The way that most people attempting to remain anonymous are caught is not through hacking but human error.
OSINT stands for Open-Source Intelligence, and is where the majority of intelligence comes from when one is attempting to track or stalk another. This is information about a person that is completely available online. This encludes names, locations, birth dates, hobbies, activities, family, anything that anyone posts about. A huge mistake that one makes is making posts with sensitive information that can be traced back to them. This includes using a username that you use on a seperate account, using the same Email address, or talking about similar topics as on another account.
Another way one can be traced is by the way they speak. Whether it is always misspelling a certain word, using certain phrases more often, or another recognisable pattern in one's typing, very similar speech can be traced back to other identities with similar patterns.
Even if one's account does not have any identifying information, using the same Email address can be compromising. If one can find the Email address you use, it may be possible to trace you, especially if you use a Gmail account. Most people use easy to remember passwords shared accross multiple accounts, that could or could not be related to personal information such as birthday or names of family members. These are easy to guess with the right information, and if one knows websites you have signed up for, they can guess your password and likely have access to the account. This is why it is important to use strong and unique passwords. Cookies are used on websites to track one's identity and what they do. If you are on a Google owned website, these cookies will track everything you do and report it back to Google. Reject all cookies on any website.
Every file has metadata with all of the inforation of when and where it was created, and on what device. By posting a photograph, one can see the exact GPS coordinates of where it was taken, and on what date. By posting photos taken recently by you, one can track you exact location, even if you use a VPN.
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