1. wiredsafety.org  The world’s largest online safety and help group, including: –WiredPatrol.org –WiredKids.org –Cyberlawenforcement.org  Provides education, awareness and one-to-one help when things go wrong online  Assists and trains law enforcement in cyber-investigations  All unpaid volunteers, and conducted entirely online  Run by cyberlawyer, Parry Aftab

2. WiredSafety.org’s Cyberstalking Study  Wired Safety helps thousands of cyberstalking and harassment victims  Its volunteers have been assisting in cybercrime and abuse investigation and prevention since 1995  Little is known about cyberstalking and harassment generally  These statistics are based upon the cases reported to Wired Safety’s cyberstalking and harassment division and in their help channels during 2002

3. Cyberstalking and Harassment  It’s stalking or harassment that: –starts online and moves offline –starts offline and moves online –targets someone for harassment by others by posting messages online (like a sex ad) –starts online and stays online –targets your computer or passwords –uses your own identity to discredit or hurt you

4. Cyberstalking and Harassment  Online stalking and harassment is growing  The greatest risk is offline threats  Protecting your personal information is key  We give lots of personal information away, without knowing it  Online stalking and harassment can easily turn into offline stalking and harassment  Many law enforcement officials don’t know how to investigate an online crime

5. Reasons for Cyberstalking  Romantic/thwarted, rejected or jilted lover, or imagined lover (real or virtual)  Revenge for real or imagined acts or omissions  Hate, bigotry and intolerance  Teaching someone a lesson/enforcing the cyber- rules (real or imagined)  Random attacks – the victim being in the wrong place at the wrong time  Cyber-celebrity stalkings and harassment – mirrors offline celebrity stalking and harassment

6. Groups most at risk  Women –especially battered and abused women –when they are identified as women online  Minors –especially from other minors they know  Newbies – people who are new to the Net  Minority group members  Special ability groups

7. Cyberstalking Victim Statistics (2002)

8. A Typical Victim  Male or female depending on the age group –in 18 – 32 year olds, females predominate  Often involved in a real or imagined romantic or sexual relationship  May be a member of a targeted minority group or special group –ethnic, racial and religious minorities –gays and lesbians –cancer or other patients with serious illnesses –adoptive or birth parents –political or special interest group

9. Cyberstalking Victim Statistics (2002)

10. Methods Used  E-mail and instant messaging direct threats  Identity theft  Building websites targeting the victim  Posting false profiles  Hacking  Posting fake sex ads  Pasting the victim’s image onto a pornographic image or posting real sexual images of the victim online  Provoking attacks against the victim by others  Posing as the victim and attacking others  Contacting victim’s family or employer  Posting in a newsgroup or on a bulletin board, online  Following the victim from site to site

11. Cyberstalking Statistics (2002)

13. Trends  More women are cyberstalking others than ever before  In some age groups, men are the greatest percentage of victims  More children are cyberstalking each other  Certain ethnic groups are being targeted, especially from the Middle East  More people are cyberdating, and becoming victims of cyberstalking when things don’t work out  Technology, such as trojan horses, are used more often than before...giving the cyberstalkers a remote control to your own computer!  Law enforcement is taking action more often  Most states now have laws criminalizing cyberstalking and harassment, up from only 16 states in 1998

14. Cyberstalking Statistics (2001 – 2002)

15. Cyberstalking Victim Statistics (2002)

16. Cyberstalking Prevention  Don’t share personal information online  Don’t fill out profiles or include personal information on websites  Don’t use a gender specific or provocative screen name or e-mail address  Don’t flirt or start an argument online unless you are prepared for the consequences  Don’t share your password with anyone  When cyberdating, set up a special e-mail address  Use a good anti-virus program and update daily

17. When Bad Things Happen  Don’t reply to your cyberstalker  Save all communications on your computer  If there is any indication that they have your offline information, call the police!  If they threaten physical violence to you or your family, call the police!  Cyberstalking is a serious matter, take it seriously!  If your law enforcement agency needs help, have them contact WiredSafety.org

18. Forewarned is forearmed – Google Yourself! (and your kids)  Go to Google’s search engine, www.google.comwww.google.com  Type in your first and last name in “quotes” (for example “Parry Aftab”)  Type in your telephone address next (no spaces, using dashes one time and parentheses the next)  Type in your full street address, in “quotes”  Note all sites and URLs that contain your personal contact information  Contact those sites and ask them to remove your information