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https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide

Installation guide

• https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide

This document is a guide for installing Arch Linux using the live system booted from an installation medium made from an official installation image. The installation medium provides accessibility features which are described on the page Install Arch Linux with accessibility options. For alternative means of installation, see Category:Installation process.

Before installing, it would be advised to view the FAQ. For conventions used in this document, see Help:Reading. In particular, code examples may contain placeholders (formatted in italics) that must be replaced manually.

This guide is kept concise and you are advised to follow the instructions in the presented order per section. For more detailed instructions, see the respective ArchWiki articles or the various programs’ man pages, both linked from this guide. For interactive help, the IRC channel and the forums are also available.

Arch Linux should run on any x86_64-compatible machine with a minimum of 512 MiB RAM, though more memory is needed to boot the live system for installation.[1] A basic installation should take less than 2 GiB of disk space. As the installation process needs to retrieve packages from a remote repository, this guide assumes a working internet connection is available.

Pre-installation

Acquire an installation image

Visit the Download page and, depending on how you want to boot, acquire the ISO file or a netboot image, and the respective PGP signature.

Verify signature

It is recommended to verify the image signature before use, especially when downloading from an HTTP mirror, where downloads are generally prone to be intercepted to serve malicious images.

On a system with GnuPG installed, do this by downloading the ISO PGP signature (under Checksums in the page Download) to the ISO directory, and verifying it with:

$ gpg --keyserver-options auto-key-retrieve --verify archlinux-version-x86_64.iso.sig

Alternatively, from an existing Arch Linux installation run:

$ pacman-key -v archlinux-version-x86_64.iso.sig

Note:

• The signature itself could be manipulated if it is downloaded from a mirror site, instead of from archlinux.org as above. In this case, ensure that the public key, which is used to decode the signature, is signed by another, trustworthy key. The gpg command will output the fingerprint of the public key.
• Another method to verify the authenticity of the signature is to ensure that the public key’s fingerprint is identical to the key fingerprint of the Arch Linux developer who signed the ISO-file. See Wikipedia:Public-key cryptography for more information on the public-key process to authenticate keys.

Prepare an installation medium

The ISO can be supplied to the target machine via a USB flash drive, an optical disc or a network with PXE: follow the appropriate article to prepare yourself an installation medium from the ISO file.

For the netboot image, follow Netboot#Boot from a USB flash drive to prepare a USB flash drive for UEFI booting.

Boot the live environment

Note: Arch Linux installation images do not support Secure Boot. You will need to disable Secure Boot to boot the installation medium. If desired, Secure Boot can be set up after completing the installation.

1. Point the current boot device to the one which has the Arch Linux installation medium. Typically it is achieved by pressing a key during the POST phase, as indicated on the splash screen. Refer to your motherboard’s manual for details.
2. When the installation medium’s boot loader menu appears,
   • if you used the ISO, select Arch Linux install medium and press Enter to enter the installation environment.
   • if you used the Netboot image, choose a geographically close mirror from Mirror menu, then select Boot Arch Linux and press Enter.Tip:
     • The ISO uses systemd-boot for UEFI and syslinux for BIOS booting. Use respectively e or Tab to enter the boot parameters. The Netboot image uses iPXE and the boot parameters can be specified in the Boot options menu. See README.bootparams for a list.
     • A common example of manually defined boot parameter would be the font size. For better readability on HiDPI screens—when they are not already recognized as such—using fbcon=font:TER16x32 can help. See HiDPI#Linux console (tty) for a detailed explanation.
3. You will be logged in on the first virtual console as the root user, and presented with a Zsh shell prompt.

To switch to a different console—for example, to view this guide with Lynx alongside the installation—use the Alt+arrow shortcut. To edit configuration files, mcedit(1), nano and vim are available. See pkglist.x86_64.txt for a list of the packages included in the installation medium.

Set the console keyboard layout and font

The default console keymap is US. Available layouts can be listed with:

# localectl list-keymaps

To set the keyboard layout, pass its name to loadkeys(1). For example, to set a German keyboard layout:

# loadkeys de-latin1

Console fonts are located in /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts/ and can likewise be set with setfont(8) omitting the path and file extension. For example, to use one of the largest fonts suitable for HiDPI screens, run:

# setfont ter-132b

Verify the boot mode

To verify the boot mode, check the UEFI bitness:

# cat /sys/firmware/efi/fw_platform_size

• If the command returns 64, the system is booted in UEFI mode and has a 64-bit x64 UEFI.
• If the command returns 32, the system is booted in UEFI mode and has a 32-bit IA32 UEFI. While this is supported, it will limit the boot loader choice to those that support mixed mode booting.
• If it returns No such file or directory, the system may be booted in BIOS (or CSM) mode.

If the system did not boot in the mode you desired (UEFI vs BIOS), refer to your motherboard’s manual.

Connect to the internet

To set up a network connection in the live environment, go through the following steps:

1. Ensure your network interface is listed and enabled, for example with ip-link(8):# ip link
2. For wireless and WWAN, make sure the card is not blocked with rfkill.
3. Connect to the network:
   • Ethernet—plug in the cable.
   • Wi-Fi—authenticate to the wireless network using iwctl.
   • Mobile broadband modem—connect to the mobile network with the mmcli utility.
4. Configure your network connection:
   • DHCP: dynamic IP address and DNS server assignment (provided by systemd-networkd and systemd-resolved) should work out of the box for Ethernet, WLAN, and WWAN network interfaces.
   • Static IP address: follow Network configuration#Static IP address.
5. The connection may be verified with ping:# ping archlinux.org

Note: In the installation image, systemd-networkd, systemd-resolved, iwd and ModemManager are preconfigured and enabled by default. That will not be the case for the installed system.

Update the system clock

In the live environment systemd-timesyncd is enabled by default and time will be synced automatically once a connection to the internet is established.

Use timedatectl(1) to ensure the system clock is synchronized:

# timedatectl

Partition the disks

When recognized by the live system, disks are assigned to a block device such as /dev/sda, /dev/nvme0n1 or /dev/mmcblk0. To identify these devices, use lsblk or fdisk.

# fdisk -l

Results ending in rom, loop or airootfs may be ignored. mmcblk* devices ending in rpbm, boot0 and boot1 can be ignored.

Note: If the disk does not show up, make sure the disk controller is not in RAID mode.

Tip: Check that your NVMe drives and Advanced Format hard disk drives are using the optimal logical sector size before partitioning.

The following partitions are required for a chosen device:

• One partition for the root directory /.
• For booting in UEFI mode: an EFI system partition.

Use a partitioning tool like fdisk to modify partition tables. For example:

# fdisk /dev/the_disk_to_be_partitioned

Note:

• Take time to plan a long-term partitioning scheme to avoid risky and complicated conversion or re-partitioning procedures in the future.
• If you want to create any stacked block devices for LVM, system encryption or RAID, do it now.
• If the disk from which you want to boot already has an EFI system partition, do not create another one, but use the existing partition instead.
• Swap space can be set on a swap file for file systems supporting it. Alternatively, disk based swap can be avoided entirely by setting up swap on zram after installing the system.

Example layouts

Mount point on the installed system	Partition	Partition type	Suggested size
/boot1	/dev/efi_system_partition	EFI system partition	1 GiB
[SWAP]	/dev/swap_partition	Linux swap	At least 4 GiB
/	/dev/root_partition	Linux x86-64 root (/)	Remainder of the device. At least 23–32 GiB.

1. Other mount points, such as /efi, are possible, provided that the used boot loader is capable of loading the kernel and initramfs images from the root volume. See the warning in Arch boot process#Boot loader.

Mount point on the installed system	Partition	Partition type	Suggested size
[SWAP]	/dev/swap_partition	Linux swap	At least 4 GiB
/	/dev/root_partition	Linux	Remainder of the device. At least 23–32 GiB.

See also Partitioning#Example layouts.

Format the partitions

Once the partitions have been created, each newly created partition must be formatted with an appropriate file system. See File systems#Create a file system for details.

For example, to create an Ext4 file system on /dev/root_partition, run:

# mkfs.ext4 /dev/root_partition

If you created a partition for swap, initialize it with mkswap(8):

# mkswap /dev/swap_partition

Note: For stacked block devices replace /dev/*_partition with the appropriate block device path.

If you created an EFI system partition, format it to FAT32 using mkfs.fat(8).

Warning: Only format the EFI system partition if you created it during the partitioning step. If there already was an EFI system partition on disk beforehand, reformatting it can destroy the boot loaders of other installed operating systems.

# mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/efi_system_partition

Mount the file systems

Mount the root volume to /mnt. For example, if the root volume is /dev/root_partition:

# mount /dev/root_partition /mnt

Create any remaining mount points under /mnt (such as /mnt/boot for /boot) and mount the volumes in their corresponding hierarchical order.

Tip: Run mount(8) with the --mkdir option to create the specified mount point. Alternatively, create it using mkdir(1) beforehand.

For UEFI systems, mount the EFI system partition:

# mount --mkdir /dev/efi_system_partition /mnt/boot

If you created a swap volume, enable it with swapon(8):

# swapon /dev/swap_partition

genfstab(8) will later detect mounted file systems and swap space.

Installation

Select the mirrors

Packages to be installed must be downloaded from mirror servers, which are defined in /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist. On the live system, after connecting to the internet, reflector updates the mirror list by choosing 20 most recently synchronized HTTPS mirrors and sorting them by download rate.

The higher a mirror is placed in the list, the more priority it is given when downloading a package. You may want to inspect the file to see if it is satisfactory. If it is not, edit the file accordingly, and move the geographically closest mirrors to the top of the list, although other criteria should be taken into account.

This file will later be copied to the new system by pacstrap, so it is worth getting right.

Install essential packages

Note: No software or configuration (except for /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist) gets carried over from the live environment to the installed system.

Use the pacstrap(8) script to install the base package, Linux kernel and firmware for common hardware:

# pacstrap -K /mnt base linux linux-firmware

Tip:

• You can substitute linux with a kernel package of your choice, or you could omit it entirely when installing in a container.
• You could omit the installation of the firmware package when installing in a virtual machine or container.

The base package does not include all tools from the live installation, so installing more packages may be necessary for a fully functional base system. To install other packages or package groups, append the names to the pacstrap command above (space separated) or use pacman to install them while chrooted into the new system. In particular, consider installing:

• CPU microcode updates—amd-ucode or intel-ucode—for hardware bug and security fixes,
• userspace utilities for file systems that will be used on the system—for the purposes of e.g. file system creation and fsck,
• utilities for accessing and managing RAID or LVM if they will be used on the system,
• specific firmware for other devices not included in linux-firmware (e.g. sof-firmware for onboard audio, linux-firmware-marvell for Marvell wireless and any of the multiple firmware packages for Broadcom wireless),
• software necessary for networking (e.g. a network manager or a standalone DHCP client, authentication software for Wi-Fi, ModemManager for mobile broadband connections),
• a console text editor (e.g nano) to allow editing configuration files from the console,
• packages for accessing documentation in man and info pages: man-db, man-pages and texinfo.

For comparison, packages available in the live system can be found in pkglist.x86_64.txt.

Configure the system

Fstab

Generate an fstab file (use -U or -L to define by UUID or labels, respectively):

# genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

Check the resulting /mnt/etc/fstab file, and edit it in case of errors.

Chroot

Change root into the new system:

# arch-chroot /mnt

Time

Set the time zone:

# ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/Region/City /etc/localtime

Run hwclock(8) to generate /etc/adjtime:

# hwclock --systohc

This command assumes the hardware clock is set to UTC. See System time#Time standard for details.

To prevent clock drift and ensure accurate time, set up time synchronization using a Network Time Protocol (NTP) client such as systemd-timesyncd.

Localization

Edit /etc/locale.gen and uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 and other needed UTF-8 locales. Generate the locales by running:

# locale-gen

Create the locale.conf(5) file, and set the LANG variable accordingly:

/etc/locale.conf

LANG=en_US.UTF-8

If you set the console keyboard layout, make the changes persistent in vconsole.conf(5):

/etc/vconsole.conf

KEYMAP=de-latin1

Network configuration

Create the hostname file:

/etc/hostname

yourhostname

Complete the network configuration for the newly installed environment. That may include installing suitable network management software, configuring it if necessary and enabling its systemd unit so that it starts at boot.

Initramfs

Creating a new initramfs is usually not required, because mkinitcpio was run on installation of the kernel package with pacstrap.

For LVM, system encryption or RAID, modify mkinitcpio.conf(5) and recreate the initramfs image:

# mkinitcpio -P

Root password

Set the root password:

# passwd

Boot loader

Choose and install a Linux-capable boot loader.

Reboot

Exit the chroot environment by typing exit or pressing Ctrl+d.

Optionally manually unmount all the partitions with umount -R /mnt: this allows noticing any “busy” partitions, and finding the cause with fuser(1).

Finally, restart the machine by typing reboot: any partitions still mounted will be automatically unmounted by systemd. Remember to remove the installation medium and then login into the new system with the root account.

Post-installation

See General recommendations for system management directions and post-installation tutorials (like creating unprivileged user accounts, setting up a graphical user interface, sound or a touchpad).

For a list of applications that may be of interest, see List of applications.

Category: 

• Installation process

• This page was last edited on 7 April 2025, at 15:32.
• Content is available under GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 or later unless otherwise noted.

Key Information about Wiz, Inc. Patents:

• Volume: Wiz, Inc. has a substantial number of patents globally. One source indicates 193 patents globally, with 73 granted and over 92% being active (as of early 2025). The majority are filed in the USA.
• Geographic Focus: The primary country for their patent filings is the United States of America, followed by China and Europe (EPO).
• Innovation Areas: Their patents are concentrated in cybersecurity, particularly cloud security. Key themes include:
  • Disk cloning and inspection techniques for cybersecurity, including for encrypted disks.
  • Detection of security exceptions, lateral movement, and identity risks in cloud environments.
  • Agentless detection of sensitive data.
  • Detection and display of cybersecurity risk context within cloud environments.
• Patent Activity: Wiz, Inc. has been actively filing and has a high grant rate for its US patent applications. They have also been involved in patent litigation and Inter Partes Review (IPR) proceedings, notably with Orca Security.

Where to Find Lists of Wiz, Inc. Patents:

The most comprehensive and up-to-date lists can be found on dedicated patent search platforms. The search results specifically highlight Justia Patents as a good resource:

• Justia Patents: The search results provide a direct link to patents assigned to “Wiz, Inc.” ( https://patents.justia.com/assignee/wiz-inc ) and “WIZ” ( https://patents.justia.com/assignee/wiz ). This is likely your best starting point for a detailed list.

Other valuable patent search engines include:

• Google Patents (patents.google.com): You can search for “Wiz Inc.” as the assignee.
• USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database (PatFT) (patft.uspto.gov): For US-specific patent searches.
• Espacenet (worldwide.espacenet.com): For searching patents globally.

Examples of Patents Assigned to Wiz, Inc. (from search results):

• US Patent 12,231,440 B2: “System and method for detecting lateral movement using cloud access keys” (Issued Feb 18, 2025).
• US Patent 12,287,899 B2: “Techniques for detecting sensitive data in cloud computing environments utilizing cloning” (Issued April 29, 2025).
• US Patent 12,219,048 B2: “Techniques for encrypted disk cybersecurity inspection utilizing disk cloning”.
• US Patent 12,217,079 B2: “Detecting security exceptions across multiple compute environment”.
• US Patent 11,936,785 B1: (Title related to inspecting encrypted disks).
• US Patent 11,916,926 B1: (Highly cited).
• US Patent 11,841,945 B1: (Highly cited).
• US Patent 11,799,874 B1: (Highly cited).
• US Patent 11,722,554 B2: (Highly cited).

Patent Applications (Examples):

• US20250141666A1: “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENCRYPTED DISK INSPECTION” (Pub. Date: May 1, 2025).
• US20250141913A1: “TECHNIQUES FOR CYBERSECURITY IDENTITY RISK DETECTION UTILIZING DISK CLONING AND UNIFIED IDENTITY MAPPING” (Pub. Date: May 1, 2025).
• US20250141911A1: “TECHNIQUE AND METHOD FOR DETECTION AND DISPLAY OF THE CYBERSECURITY RISK CONTEXT OF A CLOUD ENVIRONMENT” (Pub. Date: May 1, 2025).
• US20230164164A1: (Most popular patent in Wiz portfolio according to one source, highly cited).

To get a complete and “current” list, you would need to:

1. Visit one of the patent databases mentioned (e.g., Justia Patents, Google Patents).
2. Search for “Wiz, Inc.” as the assignee.
3. Filter or sort by status (granted, pending) and dates to identify the most current ones.

Please note that “current” can mean recently granted, actively maintained, or recently filed applications. The databases will allow you to explore these different facets.

Okay, you’re asking for a detailed history and summary of Wiz, Inc. (the cloud security company founded in 2020, with its main office in New York and significant operations in Israel), including stock charts.

Important Update: Acquisition by Google (Alphabet Inc.)

Recent reports from March 2025 indicate that Google (Alphabet Inc.) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wiz, Inc. for $32 billion in an all-cash transaction. Once the deal closes (subject to regulatory approvals, which might take until 2026), Wiz will become part of Google Cloud.

This acquisition is highly significant for both companies and the cybersecurity market.

History and Summary of Wiz, Inc.:

• Founding (2020): Wiz was founded in January 2020 by Assaf Rappaport (CEO), Yinon Costica (VP of Product), Roy Reznik (VP of R&D), and Ami Luttwak (CTO). This experienced team had previously founded Adallom, a cloud access security broker (CASB), which was acquired by Microsoft in 2015. After their time at Microsoft, they identified a need for a more unified and effective way to address cloud security visibility across complex, multi-cloud environments, leading to the creation of Wiz.
• Mission and Product: Wiz’s mission is to help organizations secure their cloud environments and accelerate their business. Their platform provides a “normalizing layer” across various cloud providers (like AWS, Azure, GCP, Oracle Cloud, and Kubernetes), enabling security teams to rapidly identify, prioritize, and remove critical risks through a “single pane of glass”. Key aspects of their technology include:
  • Agentless Scanning: Wiz provides visibility without needing to deploy agents on workloads.
  • Graph-Based Architecture: This allows for contextual understanding of risks, vulnerabilities, and potential attack paths across the cloud environment.
  • Focus on Critical Risks: The platform helps teams focus on the most important vulnerabilities, especially those exposed to the internet or with known exploits.
• Exceptional Growth: Wiz has demonstrated unprecedented growth for a software company:
  • It reportedly reached $100 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) just 18 months after its founding (around July 2022).
  • By February 2024, ARR was stated to be $350 million.
  • In 2024, it surpassed $500 million in ARR, with projections to cross $1 billion in 2025.
  • A significant portion of Fortune 100 companies (around 40-50%) are Wiz customers.
• Funding Rounds and Valuation (Prior to Acquisition Agreement):
  • Series A (December 2020): $100 million from Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Insight Partners, and Cyberstarts.
  • Series B (April/May 2021): Raised $130 million and $120 million, valuing the company at $1.7 billion.
  • Series C (October 2021): $250 million, led by Greenoaks, at a $6 billion valuation.
  • Series D (February 2023): $300 million, led by Greenoaks, at a $10 billion valuation.
  • Series E (May 2024): $1 billion from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, valuing Wiz at $12 billion.
• Acquisitions Made by Wiz (Prior to its own acquisition):
  • Raftt (December 2023): A cloud-based developer collaboration platform, acquired for approximately $50 million.
  • Gem Security (April 2024): A cloud detection and response startup, for around $350 million.
  • Dazz (November 2024): A security remediation and risk management startup, for $450 million.
• Previous Google Acquisition Talks (2024): In 2024, Google was reportedly in talks to acquire Wiz for around $23 billion. Wiz initially turned down this offer, indicating a preference for an IPO.
• Acquisition by Google (March 2025): The revived talks led to a definitive agreement for Google to acquire Wiz for $32 billion. This deal is Google’s largest acquisition to date and aims to significantly bolster Google Cloud’s security offerings. Wiz is expected to continue supporting customers across all major clouds (AWS, Azure, etc.) even after the acquisition. The founders are expected to receive approximately $3 billion each before taxes.

Regarding Stock Charts:

• Wiz, Inc. is (and was) a private company. Therefore, it did not have publicly traded stock, and consequently, there are no “stock charts” for Wiz, Inc. in the traditional sense (like those you see for companies listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ).
• Information about its valuation primarily came from its funding rounds, where venture capital firms and other investors assigned a valuation to the company based on their investment. These valuations grew rapidly, from $1.7 billion in 2021 to $12 billion by May 2024, culminating in the $32 billion acquisition price by Google.
• Post-Acquisition: Once the acquisition by Google (Alphabet Inc.) is finalized, Wiz will be part of Google Cloud. Alphabet Inc. is a publicly traded company (ticker symbols GOOG and GOOGL). Therefore, if you wish to have exposure to Wiz’s business activity after the acquisition, you would do so indirectly by investing in Alphabet’s stock. There will not be a separate stock chart for Wiz as an independent entity. Financial performance of Wiz will be incorporated into Google Cloud’s results.

Understood. When referring to a “historical chart of their holdings” for a company like Wiz, Inc. (which was private and is now being acquired by Google), it’s important to clarify what kind of “holdings” or “chart” you mean, as traditional stock holding charts for public companies don’t apply directly.

Here’s what can be provided based on its history as a private entity:

1. Historical Growth in Valuation (through Funding Rounds): Since Wiz, Inc. was private, it didn’t have publicly traded stock. Its valuation increased with each funding round. While I can’t provide a visual chart, here’s a chronological list of its key funding rounds and valuations, which illustrates its rapid financial growth:

• December 2020 (Series A): Raised $100 million. Valuation not explicitly stated in the provided search results for this specific round, but it set the stage for rapid growth.
• April/May 2021 (Series B): Raised $130 million (some sources also mention $120 million around this time). Valuation reached $1.7 billion.
• October 2021 (Series C): Raised $250 million. Valuation jumped to $6 billion.
• February 2023 (Series D): Raised $300 million. Valuation reached $10 billion.
• May 2024 (Series E): Raised $1 billion. Valuation increased to $12 billion.
• March 2025 (Acquisition Agreement): Google agreed to acquire Wiz, Inc. for $32 billion.

This timeline shows a steep upward trajectory in the company’s value as perceived by its investors.

2. Companies “Held” by Wiz, Inc. (Acquisitions Wiz Made): Before its own acquisition agreement with Google, Wiz, Inc. made several acquisitions to expand its capabilities:

• Raftt (December 2023): A cloud-based developer collaboration platform, acquired for approximately $50 million.
• Gem Security (April 2024): A cloud detection and response (CDR) startup, acquired for around $350 million.
• Dazz (November 2024): A security remediation and risk management startup, acquired for $450 million.

Limitations:

• No Public Stock Charts: As a private company, Wiz did not have shares traded on a public stock exchange, so there are no historical stock price charts.
• Detailed Investor Holdings Not Public: For private companies, the exact percentage of “holdings” by each specific investor or founder is generally not public information, though key investors leading funding rounds are often announced (as listed in the previous response, e.g., Index Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Greenoaks, Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, etc.).

REMOVE ME:

Here’s a comprehensive to-do list to guide you through the process:

Phase 1: Audit and Secure Existing Accounts & Presence

1. Inventory Your Online Accounts:
   • Make a list of all online accounts you can remember (social media, email, shopping sites, forums, cloud services, subscription services, apps, etc.).
   • Use password manager export features or browser saved logins to help jog your memory.
   • Search your email for “welcome” emails or account confirmations.
2. Delete Unnecessary Accounts:
   • For each account on your list, decide if you still need it.
   • If not, go through the official account deletion process for that service. Look for options like “delete account,” “close account,” or “deactivate profile.” This is often found in account settings or privacy sections.
   • Note that some services may only deactivate your account, meaning your data might still be stored. Look for full deletion options.
3. Strengthen Security on Remaining Accounts:
   • Use strong, unique passwords for every account. A password manager is highly recommended.
   • Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever available, preferably using an authenticator app rather than SMS if possible.
4. Review and Clean Up Social Media:
   • Set your profiles to private.
   • Review and delete old posts, photos, and information you no longer want public or associated with you.
   • Untag yourself from photos and posts made by others if possible, or request they remove them.
   • Limit the information visible on your public profile.
   • Review third-party app connections and revoke access for any apps you no longer use or trust.
5. Manage Email Accounts:
   • Delete old, unnecessary emails, especially those containing sensitive personal information.
   • Unsubscribe from newsletters and marketing lists you no longer want (use services like Unroll.me cautiously, as they may collect data themselves, or do it manually).
   • Consider using email aliases or disposable email addresses for new sign-ups to protect your primary email.

Phase 2: Tackling Data Brokers and People Search Sites

1. Identify Data Brokers:
   • Data brokers (e.g., Acxiom, Epsilon, Oracle Data Cloud, Equifax CoreLogic, Experian Marketing Services, Whitepages, Spokeo, BeenVerified, etc.) collect and sell your personal information.
   • Search for lists of data brokers online (e.g., via privacy rights organizations).
2. Opt-Out of Data Brokers:
   • Each data broker has its own opt-out process. This can be time-consuming and may require you to provide some identifying information to prove it’s you.
   • Look for “opt-out,” “privacy choices,” or “do not sell my information” links on their websites.
   • Some services (free or paid, like DeleteMe, Kanary, Optery) offer to do this for you, but research them carefully.
3. Remove Yourself from People Search Sites:
   • Search your name on popular people search sites.
   • Follow their specific opt-out procedures. This often involves finding your listing and clicking an opt-out link or sending an email.

Phase 3: Managing Your Online Search Presence

1. Google Yourself (and use other search engines):
   • See what information comes up when you search for your name, phone number, email address, etc.
   • Note down the websites where your information appears.
2. Request Removal from Search Engine Results:
   • Google’s “Results about you” tool: Google has a tool to request the removal of search results containing your personally identifiable information (PII) like phone number, home address, or email, or other sensitive/harmful content.
   • Outdated Content Removal: If content has been removed from a webpage but still appears in search results, you can use Google’s (and Bing’s) outdated content removal tool.
   • Contact Webmasters: For information you want removed from a specific website (not just the search results), you’ll need to contact the website owner or administrator directly and request removal. This is often the most challenging step, as they are not always obligated to remove publicly available information unless specific legal reasons apply (e.g., copyright, defamation, sensitive PII under certain regulations).

Phase 4: Advanced Steps and Ongoing Practices

1. Review Public Records:
   • Some personal information is part of public records (e.g., property ownership, voter registration, court records). Removing this can be very difficult and often legally restricted. Understand what is public and if there are any legal avenues for redaction in your specific jurisdiction for specific reasons (e.g., safety concerns).
2. Use Privacy-Enhancing Tools:
   • VPN (Virtual Private Network): Encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address.
   • Privacy-focused browsers: (e.g., Brave, Firefox with privacy extensions).
   • Privacy-focused search engines: (e.g., DuckDuckGo, Startpage).
   • Ad blockers and tracker blockers: (e.g., uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger).
3. Secure Your Devices:
   • Keep your operating system, browser, and applications updated.
   • Use strong passwords/passcodes and encryption on your computer and mobile devices.
   • Install reputable antivirus/anti-malware software.
4. Be Mindful of Future Activity:
   • Think twice before sharing personal information online.
   • Read privacy policies (though often dense) before signing up for new services.
   • Provide only the minimum necessary information.
   • Use pseudonyms or anonymous accounts where appropriate and allowed.
   • Be cautious about “free” services, as you are often paying with your data.
5. Exercise Your Legal Rights (if applicable):
   • If you are in a region with strong data protection laws like GDPR (Europe) or CCPA/CPRA (California), you have specific rights to access, delete, and opt-out of the sale of your personal information held by businesses. Familiarize yourself with these rights and how to exercise them.

Important Considerations and Disclaimers:

• Complete Erasure is Unlikely: It’s crucial to understand that achieving 100% removal of your digital footprint is nearly impossible. Data gets copied, archived, and held by entities you may not even be aware of. Some data is required to be kept by law by certain organizations.
• Time-Consuming and Ongoing: This is not a one-time task. New data is constantly being generated, and old opt-outs may need to be revisited. It requires persistent effort.
• Verification: Some opt-out processes require you to provide identifying information, which can feel counterintuitive. Use dedicated email addresses for these communications if possible.
• No Guarantees: Success in having data removed often depends on the policies of individual websites and companies and applicable laws.

This list provides a strong starting point for taking control of your digital footprint. Focus on the areas that concern you most and proceed systematically. Good luck! Sources