They need to have good #OpSec practices. If their accounts or equipment can be easily compromised, it’s hard to trust them in the digital realm.
Discussion
How do you verify this without meeting this person?
Sometimes you can tell by the services they use, attitudes they have towards privacy and security, what they choose to post on social media, or even what they choose to share with you in private.
Also, it’s obviously not the ONLY consideration, but it’s important.
If I have a good friend, he might be my best friend in the world, we know each other personally and hang out regularly IRL.
I might trust him with my life in some situations, but if he’s a dumbass with technology, eg:
— Uses the same password for everything.
— Leaves his phone unlocked.
— I’m always getting phishing emails from his address because he keeps getting pwned.
Then there’s NO WAY I’m adding him to my digital web of trust.