How You Can Protect Yourself Against Cyberabuse

The Villa Voice asked cybercrime expert Alexis Moore, a risk management consultant, author of Cyber Self-Defense, and founder of Survivors In Action, Inc., an international non-profit crime victim agency, about the burgeoning problem of cyberabuse. Moore explains that the term "cyberabuse" encompasses cyberstalking, cybervengence, revenge porn, identity theft and other crimes perpetrated on the web that generally target a single victim.

VV: Most everyone owns a computer at home or works on a computer as part of their job. We research, email, network, and make purchases on the web every day. In other words, we're in contact with strangers who find it easy to contact us. What do you do if someone continues to harass you online?

AM: Begin documenting the incidents immediately. Record every event and keep all records, including copies of text messages, social media posts, emails, or any evidence showing the conduct. You can find an events timeline on the Survivors in Action website. It's vital to record all incidents to garner support from law enforcement, risk management consultants or victim advocates who can assess your situation by having an events timeline available.

VV: When does stalking on the Internet become a punishable crime and what responsibilities does the person being stalked have to bring charges against someone they might not even know?

AM: This is going to vary depending upon the state, county, and the victim's specific situation. Having documentation and the events timeline will help tremendously in building support from law enforcement and prosecutors. The key is being patient, persistent and having the events timeline and documentation for evaluation.

VV: What are some helpful tips you can offer our readers to avoid becoming a victim of cyberabuse?

AM: There is no way to protect yourself from any form of cyberabuse 100 percent. However, awareness is the first step to prevention. Do not respond to social media requests from strangers or answer text messages or emails without first verifying the sender's identity. If you are escaping an abusive relationship, remember that the abuser generally knows your personal identity information and can access your accounts and information easily. In these cases, your prevention measures require more diligence than the average person. Password-protect all of your accounts online and offline, and ensure that the companies you do business with will verify your account with a password rather than the last four digits of your social security number or mother's maiden name.

VV: Do you envision cyberabuse becoming a criminal growth industry? If so, what are some things our readers should watch out for?

AM: Unfortunately, cyberabuse is here to stay. There are many ways for predators to overcome being criminally charged with cyberabuse and victims have a difficult struggle because, tragically, technology continues to outpace legislation, law enforcement and victim advocate efforts. It's up to all of us to work together and to continue to speak out when we experience cyberabuse in order to encourage officials and law enforcement to take action.

Most importantly, it's critical for our federal government to allocate existing funding to agencies that provide direct support to cyber victims. For example, our National Center for Victims of Crime, also known as the National Stalking Resource Center, continues to be funded yet the victim hotline has been closed for years. This is unacceptable, especially when millions are experiencing cyberabuse and are in dire need of direct support.

Editor's note: Cyber Self-Defense: Expert Advice to Avoid Online Predators, Identity Theft, and Cyberbullying (Lyon's Press) is available Oct. 7 and can be purchased on Amazon.