Cyberstalking
part I
Cyberstalking part II
Cyberstalking part III
Online users are vulnerable to being targeted as cyberstalking
victims in three areas.
1) Live Chat or IRC (Internet Relay Chat):
in which a user talks live with other users. This
is the most common place for cyberstalking.
2) Message boards
and Newsgroups: a user interacts with others by posting messages, conversing
back and forth.
3) Email box: a user has the ability to write anything and even attach
files to the email.
Rule of thumb, as it may be referred
to is: "NEVER GIVE ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ACROSS THE INTERNET!"
A Real Life Problem
Your
Online Setup 1) Consider a gender-neutral email address (username).
If your email address reads "sexygal@domain.com"' then you are flashing your intention to "play" the line, but understand that people judge your character and your purpose online by your username. Choose a name that does not imply a feminine gender. Example: "janedoe" is definitely feminine, where as "jdoe" is not determined. Feminine usernames tend to be targeted for the simple reason that the vast majority of cyberstalkers are looking for females.
2) Choose a good account password and change it regularly.
The best passwords don't spell anything and don't follow any logical pattern. If your chosen username, for example is "wizard" then using a password such as "spell", "wand", "cat", or "abracadabra" is logical. Make your password at least 7 letters long, due to the fact that the longer the password the harder to break, and that there are more 7 letter words in the English language than 6 or 8 letter words.
NEVER TELL ANYONE your password.
3) Edit your online profile.
Get familiar with "Finger" which is a way of looking up your username and domain and obtaining information about you from what is called your Plan file. Try out your own email address with Finger and see what comes up. if you don't like what you see - change it! Take out personal information, so no one can find out about you. You can try a finger search on yourself by going to one of the following sites on the WWW: http://www.rickman.com/finger.html or http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/cgi-bin/finger.pl
4) Review your email signature and email headers.
What does your email signature say about you? Your email signature is added to every piece of email you send. Check yours (send yourself some email and then look at the headers at the top and the signature at the bottom), and make sure it does not give away your home telephone number or any other personal details. The email headers you can configure yourself.
5) Use a good IRC Client (Program) to chat.
There are many good chat programs available for live chat. The two most highly recommended are MIRC for a PC, and IRCLE if you use a Mac. The development history and support of a full range of IRC commands and procedures, are the reason. They both enable you to protect yourself and preform rapid analysis of someone else, if they are harassing you. Many chat clients do not permit IRC commands - these are best avoided. You can get MIRC and IRCLE and lots of other IRC information from the following sites: MIRC - http://www.mirc.co.uk IRCLE - http://www.xs4all.nl/~ircle
6) Chat on a good IRC Network.
There are many IRC chat networks and there are also many other chat forums on the Net, including web chat sites. Find a chat network where there is a good Acceptable Use Policy, one that AUP is enforced by the IRC administration. Whatever chat network you choose, make sure it is a network that will support all of your IRC commands, especially those you need to protect yourself. If a chat network does not allow you to protect yourself, then it is not responsible. Consider also if the network provides fast online assistance in the event of trouble. a good chat network has online assistance only a message away. To check a network, as soon as your sign on, type: /whois. If you don't get any response, or you get a message like: ***:No such nick/channel, then you have limited protection and no way to trace anyone who attacks you.
7) Consider your choice of Nickname, Username, Realname, Finger File and User info file when you set up your IRC client.
Recommendation is to choose a username that is boring and neutral-gender. Also, it is suggested that an alternative email addy be used, such as hotmail or netaddress (usa.net). These email are limited to the server homepages and can't be traced to your local domain.
8) Consider using an anonymous remailer (or email alias service) to post messages to the Usenet.
Posting in Newgroups, Bulletin Boards, and other Usenet postings, enable cyberstalkers to trace you. Many of the postings are stored in archives such as Dejanews and be accessed for months after the posting is made. To read about anonymous remailers, visit: http://www.well.com/user/abacard/remail.html
9) Consider using an anonymous web browser.
Consider browsing the WWW by going through an anonyymous Web browsing service. This will make it impossible for your web-surfing to be logged by Websites (which is currently done), so no one will be able to pick up any information on you. Information on this service is located: http://www.anonymizer.com
10) Consider using encryption to authenticate your email messages.
Encryption prevents someone from impersonating you. PGP is a program often used for this type of email, and is a difficult program to learn but is very valuable for authentication of email. Information on this program is located: http://www.well.com/user/abacard/pgp.html
11) Discuss your safety and privacy requirements with your Internet Service Provider and enlist their help and advice.
Don't be afraid to discuss these issues with your local Internet Provider. You are paying them to use their service, and you have a right to assistance.
12) Learn your technology.
Cyberstalking prefer to target beginners for harassment, because beginners are less likely to know what to do, and know how to fight back. Never let anyone in a chat room, or email, or posting in a Usenet site, know that you might possibly be a beginner. We were all beginners at one time, but read and study all available information on technology. FAQ is a good source of technological information. Remember that Knowledge is power and Ignorance is weakness.
Keep evidence of possible harassment, by saving messages, copy and pasteing to self emails, anyway you know to retain the message logs in the event of trouble. If no troubling occurances happen, then disgard the logs until your next chat session. I hope this information is a help to you......Kegler
Although edited for size, content form is the same. Grafx-Specs thanked a friend who goes by Kegler for submitting the article. Copyright © 1997 - GRAFX-SPECS DESIGN & HOSTING