Cyber Predators

The cyber world consists of not just the internet but also mobile phones. All computer related paraphernalia combine to make up this universe. The joy of discovery and learning is accelerated by the net and those who are well-versed in this field find life interesting …yet complicated. Netizens need to watch out for dangers which are mostly hidden. The brunt of this is borne by women and children.

Keep you mobile phones to yourself . There can be situations when a stranger asks for your phone pleading that their phones has run out of its charge. You will be liable for any illegal activity which the third party does which can be for instance that of giving missed calls.

A major problem facing us is the advent of cyberstalkers who use keyloggers, malicious mobile codes, Trojans and tracking cookies to catch hold of a suitable victim. The stalkers make the victim believe that they are genuinely interested in them so as to either induct them into prostitution, or  to con them out of their money. They are also instrumental in trapping children and can shadow them for a long time, slowly manipulating the child to do their bidding.

Cyberstalkers can be psychotic spouses, ex-lovers. The stalkers can get their hands on your personal information through hacking. These photos of individuals taken from your mail or social networking sites are morphed and posted on various porn sites along with contact details. Women may find that they have a problem on their hands with strangers knocking on their door. Voyeurism is also a major problem especially with cameras such as up-skirt cameras being used to take pictures and videos of women. Cyber criminals can get control over others’ systems. You may think that your webcam is off. But watch out. These videos can also be posted on various sites.

The relationships formed on the various chat groups and social networking sites like orkut, facebook etc. cannot be called stable or genuine because the person whom you trust or may think to be a handsome young man can be a drug addict and a sixty year old imposter.

There are unscrupulous entities who use children who access the net to undertake drug peddling and other illegal activities by getting them addicted to pornography. This leads to perversion of the child’s mind, disinterest in studies, truanting and can end in suicide. There are sick individuals who enjoy child pornography but let it be made clear that accessing or viewing such material on the net is a crime so is its circulation and distribution. Pornography for adults is permitted as long as it is for personal use. Children were kept shielded in the olden days as distribution was not possible so easily. But today the internet with its peer-to-peer file sharing facilities has become a social menace. Even if an adult site says ’18 years only’, if you click the ‘yes’ button or opt for trial packages access to its explicit content is gained.

The internet can be a dangerous place. But here are some tips to steer clear of some dangers:

Ø  If a website has installed a tracking program or spyware onto your computer, have your computer checked for spyware. Use a free spyware cleaning program, such as Lavasoft or Spybot SD.

Ø  Use child –friendly sites like ask.com which have less chances of adult content popping up.

Ø  Use antivirus software and firewalls  keep them update.

Ø  Keep your operating system up to date.

Ø  Don’t open e mail or attachments from unknown sources.

Ø  Re evaluate your security on a regular basis.

Ø  Do not reveal personal information .

Ø  Do not post information about your friends and relatives as you may put them at risk.

Ø  Do not click on any link listed in the email message.

Ø  Porn sites have domain names marked with XXX should not be accessed.

The following precautions must be ensured to prevent mobile used cyber crimes:-

Ø  Do not send obscene messages & it is illegal to have obscene snaps/videos on your mobile.

Ø  Do not give your phone to strangers.

Ø  Do not click photos on mobile cameras without permission from the person shot. It is punishable to do so.

Ø  Do not give any personal information to strangers.