Doxing does not have to be an internet tool. Doxers can utilize traditional tactics to reveal targets’ personal information. Given the high volume of data to be collected, a single tool cannot be trusted to capture data all at once. To acquire information, most of these tools must be utilized separately. Before conducting a doxing campaign, a doxer synthesizes the information and conclusions gathered using several technologies.
Of course, doxing has become much easier because of social media and internet forums. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms make the search easier to disclose a target’s identity to a bigger audience. A doxer may post any information about the target on a public profile or feed for others to see. Information such as employment, friends, associates, family members, photos and personal interests are a few things that can be made available on social media.
Search engines like Google, Bing, Facebook and Pipl are just some of the sites used to collect information, such as the names and usernames of dox targets. A doxer may collect IP addresses, geo-tags, employers, time zones and other clues into a victim’s life and everyday activities.
Instant messaging apps and video conferencing platforms can pick up chat logs, pictures, comments and employment data. Using a reverse image search like TinEye can be dangerous to look for images appearing on the web.