User Guides CyberStalking - An Article

CYBERSTALKING- A BRIEF INTRODUCTION​
Keeping yourself and your family safe online involves both learning what not to reveal in your accounts or exchanges with others and learning how to maintain the security of your computer system or network. While the latter may seem more intimidating to those who are not computer savvy, it is actually the former - voluntarily revealing information or engaging in interactions with strangers - that often results in becoming a cyberstalking victim.

 
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Are You Already Being Cyberstalked Without Your Knowledge?​

Follow these directions to find out if you or a member of your family is already being discussed in public areas of the Internet:

  • Go to http://www.google.com and type in your name, and click "search" to search for any references to you on web pages. Look at the results to see if any of them relate to you.
  • Keeping your name in the search window, click on the "Images" tab to search for any pictures on the web that might relate to you.
  • Keeping your name in the search window, click on the "Groups" tab to search for any possible references to you in Usenet groups.
  • Go back to the "web" tag. Now enter your area code and phone number and then click "search." Check the results to see if any of them relate to you.
  • Keeping your area code and phone number in the search window, click on the "Groups" tab. Check the results to see if any of them relate to you.
You can do the above checks for each and every family member's name and/or telephone number.
 
What Are You Revealing?
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People often reveal a lot of personal information because they don't anticipate the danger that lurks beyond their computer. Here are some do's and don'ts to help you keep yourself and family members safer:
  • Pick a username for your e-mail address that does not reveal your gender, age, or geographic area. Do the same when picking identity names (screen names or "aliases") for any chat rooms, instant messenger programs, or discussion forums you might want to participate in. Some women use the strategy of picking male or masculine-sounding usernames to reduce the likelihood of being approached or cyberstalked, but as the number of men reporting being cyberstalked is increasing, that may become of less and less advantage in time.
  • Pick a username for your e-mail address or identity that does not reveal your last name at all, in part or whole. Usernames like TechEnclave@yourrealdomain.com reveal information about yourself (assuming that you are really a person named TechEnclave).
  • Do not rely only on "parental controls" software.
  • Do get one or more free e-mail accounts and use them for participating in any online activity such as UseNet, chat, instant messaging, mail lists, or discussion forums. Only give your primary e-mail address to very trusted sources such as your family and closest friends.
  • When signing up for your main e-mail account or any free e-mail account or any online services, do not fill out "profiles" with your real details. Give as little information as possible, and consider providing false information. Unless you're sworn to accuracy, you're usually not breaking any laws by being dishonest on those profiles. Some people also use a variety of fake usernames and profiles so that if they start receiving unwanted commercial email ("Spam"), they can figure out what company sold their name and email address to the list.
  • If you meet people online in chat rooms or via mail lists, instant messenger programs, or UseNet groups, do not assume that they are telling you the truth about who they are and do not give them any personal details about yourself.
Whenever you use someone else's computer or a public computer (library, internet cafe, store, etc.), you run the risk of having everything you enter including your passwords grabbed by a type of malware known as a "key logger." Protect your identity and anything important -- don't enter anything sensitive or confidential on a public computer or even a friend's computer because you never know if their systems are infected or not.
 
Thinking of Having Your Own Web Site?​

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A lot of people think about creating their own web site. Some take advantage of free web pages offered by their ISP. Others may want to have their own domain for a hobby site or for professional purposes.
If you are considering getting your own domain and registering it for a web site, think about what information you provide in the domain registration. By law, information provided in a domain registration must be publicly available in a WHOIS lookup. A WHOIS lookup is a utility that provides information about a domain and generally includes the domain registrant's name, street address, phone number, and other information such as what servers the domain uses, and the e-mail addresses for technical, administrative, or billing questions about the domain. WHOIS lookups do not apply to you if you use a free web page provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), but they do apply if you want your own domain name such as www.yourdomainnamehere.com.
As indicated above, you risk revealing a lot of personal details when you register a domain. Your choices are to provide fraudulent information (with a valid e-mail address that you reserve just for domain-related contacts), or to use a service such as Domains by Proxy, which provides some protection for your details. At the present time, providing fraudulent information on a domain registration is not that much of a problem, but there is an increasing crackdown on such false registrations because spammers use that technique so no one can track them down, and proxy registrars may become increasing popular in the future.
Apart from the question of how much you reveal when you register a domain, and as much as creating a family web page or web site might seem like fun, you are exposing your family to an increased risk of harassment and/or stalking by revealing personal information. It is best not to upload your own photo. If you want to share photos online with other family members, there are ways to do that without creating your own domain, and without using your real names and real details. Conduct a Google search to find what's currently available and free.

 
Avoid Hostilities

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No matter what you do or how reasonable a person you think you are, sooner or later, if you spend time on mail lists or in public areas of the Internet, you are probably going to encounter someone who uses or abuses the anonymity of the Internet or the easy of ready access to take exception to something you've said or to harass or cyberstalk you. The following are some ideas to help you minimize the chances of such interactions resulting in cyberharassment or cyberstalking, and are best used in combination with setting up free e-mail addresses and accounts that protect your real identity and real personal details:

  • If you are planning to participate in mail list discussions, forums, or UseNet, spend some time "lurking" and just reading the list or group or forum for a few weeks. Familiarize yourself with the rules for the group about posting, and get a sense of who to avoid. Most mail lists, UseNet groups, and discussion forums have FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) documents that you can read to help you learn about appropriate usage of the resource.
  • If you post anything to a UseNet group, mail list, or discussion forum or participate in a chat room and get a hostile response, do not respond to the individual at all.
  • Some groups or forums are infected with "trolls" who just try to bait people into responding to them. Others are infected with "kooks" who may decide to target you.
  • If you're online and someone "instant messages" you, and you don't know them, do not respond.
  • Learn how to use kill filters for UseNet groups, e-mail, IRC chat, and instant messenger programs so that you only see messages from people you want to see messages from. Some e-mail services (such as Cotse) have "gold list" features that enable you to only receive e-mail from the names and e-mail addresses you enter as your "approved" list.

While it is always tempting to answer or to defend yourself, if you're being insulted in UseNet, a discussion forum, a mail list, or a chat room, ignore the individual. Such interactions are often the beginning of online harassment or cyberstalking. Unless you urgently need that resource, consider leaving or not participating any more.
 
Passwords​





Your security depends, in part, on the security of your passwords:



  • Do not create passwords that could be easily guessed like your pet's name, your date of birth or anniversary, or your children's names.
  • Try to make passwords about 8 characters in length. A recent (and frightening) research report suggests that most Windows passwords that are alphanumeric (letters and numbers) can be "cracked" in less than 14 seconds, but that you can increase your security by adding non-alphanumeric symbols to your password.
  • Random strings such as t9!a78#2 might be difficult to remember or type, but they are also harder for someone else to figure out.
  • Do not give your password to anyone, and do not write it down and leave it near your computer. If you need to call your ISP for help with your account, you may need to give them your password, but do not give it to anyone who calls you claiming to be your ISP. And if you do have to give your ISP your password, change it after the phone call is completed.
  • Do not let anyone see you typing your password or watch "over your shoulder" as you enter your password.
  • Change your password every few months.
  • When using programs such as e-mail programs, you may have the option to have the program "remember" your password. If you are sharing your computer with others, or others have access to it, I would recommend that you not use the option to "remember" the password. Typing in your password every time is less convenient, but safer.
  • Never, ever give out your password while you're online. No reputable place or professional would ever ask you for it, so don't allow yourself to be tricked or "socially engineered" into giving out personal information, passwords, etc.




A unique string of characters that a user types as an identification code to restrict access to computers and sensitive files. The system compares the code against a stored list of authorized passwords and users. If the code is legitimate, the system allows access at the security level approved for the owner of the password.



A password can also be defined as a code that is known only to the account owner. This code is usually 6-8 characters in length and should be a mix of numbers, letters (both lower and upper case), and special characters. The purpose of a password is to authenticate the user before gaining system access. The more complex a password is, the more secure it is. Never use words found in the dictionary or words and numbers that are easily associated with you (i.e. your pet's name, street address, birth date, etc.) as a password. These are easily broken by hackers and could lead to your account being compromised.

 
If You've Already Received Harassing E-mail or Contacts​
Do follow the steps below:



  • If you do receive any personally threatening or harassing e-mails (not bulk spam, but something clearly directed at or to you or a family member), preserve the entire e-mail with its header. Just as your regular mail arrives with a postmark, e-mail arrives with information as to its origin and the path it took to get to you. This information is contained in what is called the "header." Normally, you do not view the entire header of an e-mail, but most mail clients (e-mail programs) have an option to let you see the whole header. While it may look like "gobbledygook" to you, it actually contains important information to the trained investigator. If you continue to get harassing or threatening e-mail at your primary e-mail address from your ISP, contact your ISP and change your username. Also change your password.
  • If you receive e-mail with a very specific threat in it (as examples: "I will be waiting for you when you get out of work at [Name of Place] tomorrow"), contact your local law enforcement immediately, as the cyberstalking may be progressing to stalking.
  • If the harassing or threatening e-mails contains actual information about the sender's real domain, you may wish to forward the entire email, with the header, to their ISP. Some ISPs actually do terminate user accounts for violation of their "Acceptable Use Policy" (AUP) or "Terms of Service" (TOS). You can usually find your ISP's and others' ISP's AUPs and TOS on the ISPs' web sites. If you can't find out who to contact, you can do either of the following:
    • If the person's email address represents a recognized ISP or service, such as name@attbi.net or name@yahoo.com, send an email to abuse@<insert the name of the harasser's domain or service here>. Most ISPs have an abuse@ address set up to handle such complaints. You might also cc: your email to postmaster@<theirdomain>. If you're not sure where to send complaints, try sending them to both abuse@<theirdomainname> and postmaster@<theirdomainname>, as most providers have those addresses set up to handle such mail. Expect to receive a automated reply initially as most providers are overwhelmed with complaints about spam and assorted problems.
  • In general, it is a bad idea to respond to any harassment, but in some jurisdictions, there may be a requirement that you notify the harasser to cease and desist so that they can prosecute any further instances. If the harasser has not used an anonymous remailer or anonymizing service, and if you are considering responding to them to tell them to cease and desist, first contact your local law enforcement computer crimes department (if there is a specialized department like the Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police Department) and seek their advice as to whether you should or should not respond.


If you are having a serious problem with online harassment or cyberstalking, get help. Contact your local police department, there are also some online groups that may be of help to you.
 
Keeping Your Computer Secure

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Computer security is essential, regardless of whether you're just an occasional user or someone who spends a lot of time connected to the Internet or on a network that is connected to the Internet.

Protecting your system from intrusions and infections requires a lot of vigilance, but do you really want to leave the door open to allow someone access to your hard drive and files? Or would you be concerned about clicking on a link if it meant that you were - unknown to you - installing a program on your hard drive that would allow others to track every move you made on the Internet or to use your computer to launch attacks on others? Would you be concerned about getting infected by a program that was taking your personal e-mail and sending it out to thousands of others all over the Internet?



Here are some tips or pointers to pursue:

  • Install and use anti-virus software.
  • Update your anti-virus software frequently (weekly, at least).
  • When you install and configure the software, set it to provide "real-time" protection so that it notifies you if an infected attachment arrives in e-mail and or sets off alarms if you try to click on or open an infected attachment.
  • If you are not behind a router as part of a network, use a firewall. A firewall is a security system that protects your computer or server from accidentally or unintentionally sending information out over the Internet. It also protects from unwanted intrusions or invasions of your computer or network. Firewalls can be implemented by hardware (having a computer that serves solely as a gateway between your computer and the Internet) or by a software program.
  • Anti-virus software will not necessarily prevent your system from being infected by "Trojans." Once infected, your system may start sending out information about you even if you have a firewall running.
  • Check for updates to fix security problems on your operating system and software. If you use Windows as your platform, go to the windows site and download the latest patches, service packs and the critical updates that are available there.
  • Never click on any link that comes in an e-mail unless it is from a trusted source and you were expecting the link. A lot of spammers and other types may create fraudulent "from" lines to trick you into thinking that the mail is coming from a legitimate source. Many malicious codes may also come from fake addresses or faked addresses such as support@microsoft.com, and some identify theft or fraud scams purport to come from reputable companies but direct you to click on a link that goes elsewhere. For example, some criminals are sending out e-mails that purport to be from PayPal or eBay and that instruct you that you must verify your information if you want to continue using their service. But if you look at the link they are directing you to, it is not actually PayPal's or eBay's legitimate site. If you were to follow the link and provide the requested information, the criminals would have your credit card information and details. Such scams (known as "phishing") have been occurring with increasing frequency recently. Before you click on any link, then, position your cursor over the hyperlink and look at the bottom of your browser window to see what url is displayed for that link. If it doesn't look legitimate, then don't click on it until you get more information.
  • Run full-system virus scans regularly.
  • Run programs that will detect and delete any spyware on your system. Free programs such as Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy can perform such scans and functions and you can find them online via a Google search.
  • If you discover that your system is infected, you should disconnect from the Internet until you have resolved the problem. Instructions for removing many types of infections are available on the sites that sell anti-virus software, but because some infections can do nasty things that actually prevent you from detecting them, you might need to take the more extreme measure of reformatting your hard drive and totally reinstalling your operating system. Before taking any extreme measures, it is always advisable to consult with someone truly knowledgeable. If your system gets infected or compromised, get help from someone who really knows what they are doing.
  • Back up all your important data files regularly and keep them in a safe location so that if your system is compromised (or infected), you won't lose everything if you have to reformat your hard drive.
  • Consider having a "security audit" performed on your system by a reputable security consultant or firm.
  • In general, it is best to not keep any files or correspondence on your hard drive that you wouldn't want your worst enemy to smear all over the world. Whenever possible, transfer them to a removable device or storage mechanism or to a computer that is never connected to the Internet or a network. If you want to save your files on your computer and your computer is connected to the Internet, its helpful to learn about encryption techniques and implement one (or some). The most popular (and free) encryption program is known as PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
  • Never reply to unwanted e-mail such as spam, even if it says "To be removed from this mail list, reply-to….." By replying, you are showing the sender that your e-mail address is a working e-mail address and that somebody actually reads the mail. Only use the "reply" option to spam if you know that you originally did sign up for the mailings and now want to be removed.
  • Do not open attachments that arrive with e-mails unless you know the sender and are expecting the attachment.






Test your e-mail by sending yourself a test e-mail and then expanding the header to look at the path. What does your header show? Does it show your real originating IP, your real username, your real domain (ISP), the type of e-mail program you're using, and/or your machine's operating system? If so, you are revealing information about yourself with every e-mail you send out.

 
Disclaimer:​

  • All the information provided above is for educational purposes only.
  • Any misuse of the above information is not the responsibility of the author or of TechEnclave.
  • Though the article is free and open to copy, it is requested that you link back to the article or atleast have a link back to the site (www.techenclave.com) in references or as the primary source.
  • Along with the link, it is also requested that you write the name of the author.

 
Thats a lot of good information. Personally, regarding Cyberstalking and stuff, i've seen that a little bit of care can go a long way in protecting one's identity and one's physical self.

I used to work for an online safety organisation, and have seen many cyberstalking cases come by. I'll narrate one such story, without revealing the identity of any of the victims

There was this 13 year old girl who played for a local soccer team in a town in the state of Florida. One day, she was in a chatroom, just looking to make a friend. She received a message from a chatter in the chatroom. He claimed he was 15 years old, and loved soccer too. Their conversation went on, and after a couple of days of intensive soccer talk and stuff, the girl told him that she had her lucky number as her jersey number (some 27 or something). She also told him which team she played for.

In reality, this chatter dude was a 40 odd year old man, apparently sex crazed as well. He knew her jersey no. and her team name. A little search on google got him her name, as well as her picture. Google is so amazing now that the guy was able to pull up her telephone number from the search engine. He then travelled to the little town in Florida, tracked the girl down, and one day, when she was on her way back from school,..... This girl was supposedly raped and murdered. The guy was convicted, but the incident proved to be a harsh reminder to people. Chatting online isn't safe unless you take all the necessary precautions to protect your identity

Regards
Inzider
 
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