Browse Definitions :
Definition

digital profiling

Digital profiling is the process of gathering and analyzing information about an individual that exists online. A digital profile can include information about personal characteristics, behaviors, affiliations, connections and interactions. Digital profiling is used in marketing, enterprise security, criminal justice and recruitment, among other areas.

In enterprise security, digital profiling is used to identify suspect employees and protect the organization from an insider threat. An employee may be singled out because of suspicious behavior. To determine whether he really poses a risk to the company, his online behavior may be scrutinized a digital profile assembled. In a low-profile case, information would typically be gathered through corporate email, logs and social media content, connections and posts. In a more high-profile case, investigators might employ surveillance technologies for a more complex profile of the individual.

In criminal justice, digital profiling is used to identify suspected criminals and people of interest. Law enforcement officials work with forensic psychologists and combine a digital profile with other information that is known about a given individual.

In human resources (HR), recruiters and hiring managers use digital profiling to find and assess potential employees. In combination with traditional employee vetting using resumes and interviews, potential hires are evaluated based on their digital profiles, or online footprints. Recruiters may use social media sites for professionals like LinkedIn, where users can create profiles that will be appealing to potential employers. Social media activity can add to a candidate's digital profile both positively and negatively, as social media analytics become a larger part of recruiting efforts by employers.

This was last updated in August 2017

Continue Reading About digital profiling

Networking
  • Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)

    Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a switching mechanism used in wide area networks (WANs).

  • computer network

    A computer network is a group of interconnected nodes or computing devices that exchange data and resources with each other.

  • WAN optimization (WAN acceleration)

    WAN optimization -- also known as WAN acceleration -- is a collection of technologies and techniques used to improve the ...

Security
  • three-factor authentication (3FA)

    Three-factor authentication (3FA) is the use of identity-confirming credentials from three separate categories of authentication ...

  • cyber espionage

    Cyber espionage (cyberespionage) is a type of cyber attack that malicious hackers carry out against a business or government ...

  • role-based access control (RBAC)

    Role-based access control (RBAC) is a method of restricting network access based on the roles of individual users within an ...

CIO
  • knowledge-based systems (KBSes)

    Knowledge-based systems (KBSes) are computer programs that use a centralized repository of data known as a knowledge base to ...

  • Sarbanes-Oxley Act

    The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a federal law that established sweeping auditing and financial regulations for public companies.

  • project charter

    A project charter is a formal short document that states a project exists and provides project managers with written authority to...

HRSoftware
  • employee engagement

    Employee engagement is the emotional and professional connection an employee feels toward their organization, colleagues and work.

  • talent pool

    A talent pool is a database of job candidates who have the potential to meet an organization's immediate and long-term needs.

  • diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

    Diversity, equity and inclusion is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and ...

Customer Experience
  • sales development representative (SDR)

    A sales development representative (SDR) is an individual who focuses on prospecting, moving and qualifying leads through the ...

  • service level indicator

    A service level indicator (SLI) is a metric that indicates what measure of performance a customer is receiving at a given time.

  • customer data platform (CDP)

    A customer data platform (CDP) is a type of software application that provides a unified platform of customer information that ...

Close