Cryptography Reference
In-Depth Information
might include not only economic espionage, but also certain attempts to gain
access to unclassified intelligence such as civil defense and emergency readiness;
technology employed in manufacturing; trips planned by high-ranking oHcials,
as well as data on satellites; personnel; and payroll; together with files from:
policing agencies; investigative departments of government (such as taxation)
and security agencies.
Cyberstalking
: This new crime (also written
cyber-stalking
), spawned by
the Internet, refers to the practice of sending harassing messages (which might
include threats as serious as threatening another's life), by e-mail. Women are
targeted more than men in this regard. Although the majority of cyberstalkers
are men and the majority of their victims are women, the number of women
cyberstalkers is increasing as are the numbers of adults cyberstalking children;
even children cyberstalking children is a new threat. New laws have been en-
acted in numerous countries to deal with this new criminality.
Cyberstalkers assume they will remain anonymous, so can do as they please
with impunity. When they are caught by authorities, most cyberstalkers claim
they “didnt mean to do it”, or did not “mean it to go so far”. Contrary to what
one might infer, the vast majority of cases are not from someone known to the
victim, rather they are from strangers. Much of the problem stems from the
victim putting blind trust in those they meet online. Do not.
To protect yourself online, use your principal e-mail account only for mes-
sages to and from those you know and trust. Use some type of free e-mail
account for your more frivolous Internet activities. Sites such as
Hotmail
have
such accounts for you to access. (MSN Hotmail claims to be the world's largest
provider of free, Web-based e-mail.) Even there, use a gender-neutral name for
your account, and do not use your real name if it can possibly be avoided. Do
not fill out any automaticdata features, such as chat-room profiles. If you must
go to a chatroom, do
not
engage in lengthy, heated, online arguments with oth-
ers. The consequences could be more than you are willing to bear. Use filtering
programs in your e-mail to get rid of unwanted sources. If you do encounter a
cyberstalker, do not respond. That is what they want. Instead, contact their
ISP by forwarding their message, and if the harassment persists, call the police.
The dangers in cyberspace are somewhat like drinking alcohol. It lowers
one's inhibitions, and allows people to say things they probably would not have
said if they were in your physical presence. Again, this stems from the online
anonymity factor, as well as the physical separation between entities. One
might type something that would provoke a punch in the mouth or a slap in
the face if said directly, but the anonymity and physical distance make some
individuals think that there will be no consequences to their actions, certainly
not an immediate one.
Fraud
: You might think that as long as your credit cards are “safe” in
your wallet or purse, that no criminal can use them. The Internet has changed
all that. In point of fact, criminals use cyberspace to target, obtain, and sell
credit card data to those who would counterfeit these cards. These counterfeiters
use custom-built hardware and software to embed data on plastic cards with
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