Think of a scenario or movie where someone is on the way back to his/her home and somebody is stalking him/her, to harass or maybe with bad intentions. Similarly, cyber-criminals stalk people online with malicious content using social media platforms, instant messaging, emails, blogs, forums, etc.
The idea itself is scary when somebody tracks you and your activity without your knowledge. It can be used against you anytime, anywhere, as the attacker can gather most of the information about you.
Kids are an easy target for cyberstalking attacks as they normally keep stuff within themselves and do not share much with their parents/teachers to fear that they would be imposed with the limited internet/online access. However, whereas a parent, our role is more critical, and we need to make sure they share maximum information with us about their online activity.
They get unpleasant messages and annoying messages from unknown sources. So, it is important to guide them and create awareness among them about the implication of hiding this kind of information.
Nowadays, digital life has become so important that we started living in the virtual world. We have started posting every activity online, making attacker jobs very easy.
Few recommendations to protect ourselves from cyberstalking
- Do not put everything on social media, especially the sensitive information about us
- Do not accept requests on social media from unknown sources without validation
- Do not talk to unknown people over social media
- Do not disclose your daily routine or schedule over social media unless it is necessary to share for a cause
- If you get any unpleasant message, block him/her immediately and talk to someone close to you
- Seek guidance in case of any cyberstalking
- Beware of fake profiles on social media, and do your due diligence before accepting any request