Doxing
The act of researching and publicly exposing private information about an individual without consent.
Full Definition
Doxing (also spelled "doxxing") refers to the practice of researching, compiling, and publicly releasing private or personally identifiable information about an individual without their consent. The term derives from "docs" (documents), as early doxing involved leaking personal files.\n\nIn threat contexts, doxing is used to harass, intimidate, extort, or silence individuals — particularly security researchers, journalists, activists, or corporate executives. Threat actors may compile dossiers from data breaches, social media, public records, stealer logs, and OSINT techniques.\n\nFor organizations, doxing of key personnel (executives, security staff, developers) poses serious physical and digital risks, from social engineering attacks to physical threats. Corporate intelligence teams monitor dark web and cybercrime forums for dox posts targeting company personnel.
Related Terms
OSINT (Open Source Intelligence)
Intelligence gathered from publicly available sources including websites, social media, and public records.
Threat IntelligenceSocial Engineering
Psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or divulging confidential information.
Attack TypesThreat Actor
Any individual or group that carries out or has the intent to carry out malicious cyber activities.
Threat ActorsSpear Phishing
A targeted phishing attack customized with personal details to deceive a specific individual or organization.
Attack TypesMonitor Your Exposure on Whiteintel
Understanding threats is the first step. Whiteintel continuously monitors dark web sources, stealer logs, and breach databases so you know the moment your organization's data is at risk.