Security precautions can
prevent abuse on Internet
By Katie Muehlhausen
Staff Writer
Technological advancements in the past decade
have created a world of freedom, education and anonymity that is accessible
to anyone who will "log on."
But along with its growing availability the Internet
brings a whole new avenue for crime. With criminals and scam artists
getting more and more creative it seems this "electronic super highway"
has become unsafe at any speed.
Jayne Hitchcock, an Internet abuse victim and
president of the Working to Halt Online Abuse organization, addressed
the issue of online security Wednesday night in Fowler Hall.
Hitchcock spoke frankly about her own experiences
with online harassment, many of which could have led to very serious
consequences. An example of these is an Internet add offering "sex
phantasies" at any time of the day or night. The add listed her name,
phone number and home address. After discovering the add, Hitchcock
said she was terrified that someone might come to her house in response.
"You don't realize how bad it really is until
it happens to you," she said.
Even after changing her e-mail address and contacting
the police, the harassment didn't stop.
"The entire world is connected to the Internet,"
said Hitchcock, "and it's very challenging to catch them (harassers)."
Until recently, law enforcement agencies didn't
have to deal with Internet crime. Even now only 39 states have cyberstalking-related
laws. Indiana is one of them.
Hitchcock emphasized that there are no "typical"
victims of online abuse. It can happen to anyone.
"Any part of the Web or net can become an avenue
for harassment," she said.
Though most harassment cases begin with e-mail,
Hitchcock said that it's amazing how creative harassers can get.
"Just when I think I've seen it all," she said,
"we hit a case that amazes me."
Hitchcock gave an example where a harassment
victim received an e-greeting that opened to dancing animals. When
the unsuspecting victim clicked on the highlighted link, a threatening
message appeared.
Now that people are becoming more educated about
the issue of Internet security, Hitchcock said we need to focus on
ways to protect ourselves. Anti-virus software is just one step toward
educated protection.
The presentation also focused on "cyber street-smarts,"
the most important of which is to limit the amount of personal information
listed online.
