Well, I came across some really cool content this week that I wanted to share for all of us who help kids navigate the computer. The first cool tip I read about in an article on Cnet is the Google ”Safe Search” tool. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10395112-238.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20)

Users have always had the ability to tweak Google search returns so they don’t contain adult content. The problem was that kids could change the settings. Google has changed it so that you can now lock in the settings using your password. A feature that I think is cool is that you can see from across the room if it is still on while your kids are surfing because there are large colored balls that show up on the top of the screen. How cool is that?

Though it is not foolproof since the kids can shut it off if they figure out your password (another reason to nix the post it notes on the front of the computer), I think this is a great option for those that need a filter but don’t want to use a parental management tool such as MFP. It also is great for those folks who don’t have kids themselves but may have some kid friends that come to visit.

To install go to http://www.google.com/preferences, choose an option under “safesearch filtering” such as “use strict filtering” then choose “Lock Safesearch”. Note, you will have to do this in each browser you use on your computer, i.e. Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, etc.

(Note This will not work if your kids are old enough to have email and use Gmail for their provider. In that case I would strongly suggest using a product like McAfee Family Protection that will filter everything for you.)

The next cool thing I found is a new update for the Kidzui Browser. I have long been a fan of the Kidzui browser for my littlest “surfer girl”. I love that it opens up in the entire window so she can’t accidentally click off the page and onto my desktop and I also love that it filters You Tube for me.

With the launch of Kidzui 5.0, kids and parents can now share weblinks between Kidzui and Facebook. (http://www.your-story.org/kidzui-launches-new-version-of-company%E2%80%99s-award-winning-kid%E2%80%99s-browser-featuring-new-ways-for-children-and-parents-to-safely-discover-and-share-the-internet-together-55046/) Go to Kidzui.com to learn more about Kidzui 5.0.

Today’s blog pertains to parents mainly, but with the holidays approaching, I thought this may be good for anyone who is expecting child visitors over the holidays. I know how much I would appreciate an aunt, uncle or friend who set up one of these options on their computer for my kids so I could relax on Thanksgiving Day – Delicious!

Stay safe!

Tracy
cybermom@mcafee.com
Twitter: McAfeecybermum

Imagine my dismay when I see an article with a picture of my favorite Farmville in Time magazine that says “Are you getting scammed by Facebook Games?”
(http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1935698,00.html)

Alas! The story doesn’t end with Farmville. The company that created it, Zynga, also created Mafia Wars, Café World, Yoville and Roller Coaster Kingdom. Chances are if you yourself don’t play one of these games, you know someone who does. According to the Zynga website, they have 50 million daily active users.

Here is how the game works:

You start Farmville with a plot of land and a small amount of virtual money. You earn more virtual money by tilling the land, growing crops and taking care of animals.

If you want to progress faster in the game, you can also purchase (through credit cards and Paypal) more virtual money. If you don’t wish to use a credit card, you can sign up for a promotion.

The scam comes in when you choose to participate in a survey in exchange for virtual dollars. When you complete the survey, they ask for a cell phone number to send the ”results”. There is no mention of the $9.99 per month “service” fee they are going to charge your cell.

My thoughts immediately go to all the young teens who don’t have a credit card but have a cell phone and might fall for this trick. Then I think of all the people I know who might not be very computer/scam savvy and may fall victim. The truth is that these online games are created by revenue based companies. It is important to keep that in mind when you play and explain this to the young people in your life.

This Techcrunch.com article by Mark Pincus (CEO of Zynga) said (on video), he did anything for profits in the formation of his company including giving virtual poker chips in exchange for a toolbar download which he said, he “couldn’t get rid of it (the toolbar)”. http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/11/06/zynga-scamville-mark-pinkus-faceboo/

According to the Time Magazine article, Zynga is doing everything in their power to be on the up and up and “has raised its BBB rating to a B+ from an F” in the past year which is great to see. Facebook and MySpace both say “they monitor all applications closely and have suspended companies that violate advertising protocols.” (Read more here: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1935698,00.html#ixzz0Wg2B2kaK)

I will still play my favorite games on Facebook, but I never “pay to play” and never click on ads or offers. I have told my kids to be careful of too good to be true offers. I also am very careful to keep my antivirus set to update automatically and use McAfee Family Protection to make sure my teens don’t give out their cell phone number online.

Cybermom’s Tips of the Day

1. Whenever you make purchases online, make sure that the Web site has encryption. If it is safe, it will display a closed lock in the Web browser – either top or bottom of the page. You can also check the Web address; it should begin with https:// if it is secure.

2. Never respond to an e-mail that asks you to validate or confirm any of your personal or account information. This could be a phishing scam. Contact the company directly if you are wondering if the email is legitimate.

3. Create a strong password for your Facebook account and all other accounts using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Example: password=“Pa$$w0rd”, apple=“@ppl3”, doggone=“d0gg0n3”

4. Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date(current subscription, correctly installed, set to update automatically) in case one of these online games contains a virus.

5. Remember these game companies want to make a profit. If you aren’t paying to play the game, how are they making money? Ads on the site? Offers? Be careful what you click on – if a deal sounds too good, it probably is.

If you have been a victim of this scam, will you please write to me? Send an email to cybermom@mcafee.com.

Tracy
@McAfeeCybermom

As a mother of two children, aged ten and eight, who use our home computer and are becoming more and more active and internet savvy every day, I know how overwhelming and daunting the responsibility of protecting them from online threats can be.  While I believe the internet is a great environment for them to play, learn, develop and socialise, I also know that there are potential risks and threats that I need to safeguard my family from. The internet is not going to go away and for most families it will continue to become an increasing part of our daily lives. 

With the internet becoming more and more prevalent in my children’s lives I decided to become more active and aware of not only what they are doing and where they are going online, but also to educate them about online dangers. It’s a bit like “stranger danger” for kids when they are online.  In talking with friends and other parents, I realised that they also shared my concerns and desire to be more proactive and aware about internet protection for their families but were unsure where to go for guidance. With this realisation I began a search for information which lead me to McAfee, an internet safety company, who will be supporting me in my endeavour as a Cybermum. 

I am very excited to have the support of McAfee who will be assisting me in this quest and providing their insights and experience in how to keep our children safe. 

As a Cybermum, I want to provide Australian families with my insights, experiences and explanations around internet security. Apart from sharing my own experiences, I would also like to hear what other parents have encountered. I will also be talking about the latest threats and trends with the cyber security experts from McAfee.  

To help launch my first ever blog on internet safety, McAfee Australia has provided a free family safety assesment tool for all parents.  This is a great way to start out on your own path to keeping your family protected.  Go to http://mfesite.com/auitrat/itrat.html to complete your family assessment and receive recommendations from McAfee on how to improve your personal security.

I hope you will find my blog interesting, informative and worthwhile.  I invite you to join in so that we can discuss a wide range of topics relating to online family safety.  I also encourage you to send any questions you may have to me at cybermum@mcafee.com and I will do my best to answer your questions in a way that is easy to understand. You can also keep up to date on my blogs via twitter at Cybermum_Oz.

Moira
cybermum@mcafee.com – For those of you who are not tweeting yet!

McAfee Labs has tracked down the top global, U.S. and Canadian cities with highest number of zombie-infected computers.

A zombie is a PC that has been infected with a virus or Trojan horse that allows hijackers to take control of it. The hijacker uses it to generate spam or launch denial of service attacks (just like the recent Twitter and Facebook issues). Your PC can be turned into a zombie and used to attack others if you click on any virus infected link or download a malicious file. Guess what? This can be done unbeknownst to you.

How serious is this threat? President Obama has asked all Americans to take steps to secure their computers. In a speech on May 29th, he said “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.” http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/National-Cybersecurity-Awareness-Month/

Below are the rankings of the most zombie-infected cities. The results may spook you!

The Top Four International cities with the highest zombie population:

1. Rio De Janeiro
2. Beijing
3. Istanbul
4. Moscow

The Top Five U.S. Cities with the highest zombie population:

1. New York City
2. Philadelphia
3. Austin
4. San Francisco
5. Dallas

The Top Four Canadian Cities with the highest zombie population:

1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Vancouver
4. Calgary
5. Winnipeg

Why are these cities at high-risk for zombies?
The data collected is based on the number of infected IP addresses in the specific geographic location. An IP address is the numeric address your computer uses when it is connected to the Internet, kind of like a phone number represents your telephone on the phone network.

Did you know your computer had a number that identifies it? The high urban concentration in these cities, Internet popularization and lack of reliable anti-virus protection may contribute to these cities topping the list.

How can you protect your PC from becoming a zombie?
You should remember that it only takes one person armed with an infected USB stick or an unprotected computer to bring zombies into your town. McAfee security experts urge consumers to buy comprehensive security software such as McAfee Total Protection, McAfee Internet Security, and McAfee VirusScan Plus and to keep subscriptions current.

If you feel that your PC is infected with malware visit http://home.mcafee.com/VirusInfo/VirusRemovalTools.aspx for virus removal tools and services.

Have you been attacked by zombies? Let me know how it happened.

Tracy
cybermom@mcafee.com
@McAfeeCybermom

My opinion is that even though on any given day the chance is very small that I will get in a car accident, so I still make sure that everyone in the car is buckled up before we drive and that I have responsible driving habits. I still check my kids Halloween candy. I still teach my family how to be safe online – kids and grandparents included!

Since Halloween is right around the corner and it is National Cyber Security Awareness Month I thought I would focus on “Cookies” – not the sweet stuff. Cookies are messages, or segment of data, containing information about a user, sent by a Web server to a browser and sent back to the server each time the browser requests a Web page. Kind of like Big Brother, right? (a reference to the novel by George Orwell, not the reality tv show)

So what does this mean to you and me? Well, it means that every time I go to Amazon, it says “Hi Tracy” and shows me content that would appeal to me based on my shopping and surfing habits on their site. Your page and my page probably look very different. It also means that if you use Gmail, you get ads around your pages that pertain to what is in your mailbox.

First-party cookies are not too dangerous because they are just used on one site. But third party cookies are another story. If a site uses third party cookies that means they can get shared among sites which may not be so good.

This week I read an interesting article in USA Today by Jayne O’Donnell who interviewed Paula Greve, director of Web security research at McAfee. Jayne broke down what cookies are and what to do about them. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2009-10-26-cookies-explained_N.htm).

Here are some tips from the article if you want to protect your privacy:

• Check website privacy policies. Most sites state what information is gathered and how it is used. Some will let you opt in or opt out of the collection process. Check the policy especially if you plan to register on a site.

• Disable cookies. On your Web browser, you likely have an option to disable all cookies or those that apply to third-party uses. Disabling first-party cookies means websites won’t likely have your credit card or password information stored anymore. Greve has disabled third-party cookies on her computer and “sleeps better at night” because of it, she says.

• Remove cookies regularly. You can set your browser to automatically clear your entire browsing history and cookies, or do it manually. But Greve says even though cookies are removed from the computer, “Once you put your information out, it’s out there, and it’s going to get to stores in one way, shape or form.”

• Consider installing an “anonymizer.” These services hide your IP address wherever you go, but Greve warns there have been “phishing” attacks — e-mails that try to get personal information — through some of these.

• Use a proxy server. These devices, which are intermediaries between networks, allow you to browse in private.

This Halloween season beware of Halloween Screensavers. McAfee Labs has informed me that a search for them returns a significant amount of bad websites looking to infect your computer. Read this quick blog from Dave Marcus to learn about all the Halloween related scams to avoid. http://www.avertlabs.com/research/blog/index.php/2009/10/29/trick-or-treat-with-spam-and-malicious-screensavers/

Let me know if you have come across any Halloween Hoaxes online.

Happy Halloween!

Tracy
cybermom@mcafee.com
@McAfeeCybermom

Ever clicked on a TinyURL? Well, I did, and as a result, it sent me to a fake site and then spammed all of my followers on Twitter. You’d think that as a Cybermom I’d be fool-proof. But the truth is these guys are clever. They’re relentless. The cyberscammers disguised their message in a TinyURL that was automatically forwarded to me from a fellow tweep, who was also hit. If your friend sent you a message with a TinyURL, would you click on it? Most of us would – and that’s why cyberhackers do scams like that. Fortunately, my bank details weren’t compromised and a scan of my computer with the Virus Removal Service shows that I don’t have any malicious software on my computer.

But here is the lesson, folks. Cybercriminals go after everyone, and everyone needs to be on scam high alert. If this can happen to me, a person who writes about this stuff weekly, it can happen to anyone. As I have always done in the past, I am putting my experience out for all to learn. Here is what to keep on the lookout for.

Cyber Mom’s Recap

The link came as a direct message on Twitter from someone I know with a link that used tinyurl (a web address shortening service). When I clicked on the link, I was brought to what looked like Twitter. After that the SPAMMERS took over my account and started sending out direct messages to all of my followers (and then some!) with a link that brought all who clicked to this site.

McAfee Labs searched the site and found no malicious code embedded in the site. It looks like a straightforward phishing scheme just looking to get your contact information. (Which you should NEVER give your address to – I am still getting snail mail from the one time I gave my address with the name “Penelope Retch” during the SPAM Experiment in April of 2008! Makes me feel guilty for all the trees…)

Cyber Mom Lessons of the Day

1. Always be careful of shortened urls – if you can’t see the site, don’t click on the link. Even if you know the person who sent it.

2. Never type in your password when you have clicked on a link to get to a site. Instead, type in the address of the site and then log-on, to make sure you’re in the right place.

3. If you even *think* you may have been phished or that you may have given away your password – change it immediately.

4. Consider using an application like Power Twitter in Mozilla Firefox or something similar that un-shortens shortened links in Twitter – Power Twitter shows you a thumbnail of the page so you know where the link leads.

5. And if you’re worried, go to McAfee’s Cybercrime Response Unit to see how much danger you may be in.

I’m curious if anyone else has fallen victim to this type of scam – let me know if so!

Safe surfing!

Tracy
cybermom@mcafee.com

At the time I was very frustrated. I really had no idea why this game was so large and why the kids needed to log on to play. It was the beginning of introducing my family to a MMORPG – Massive Multiplayer Online Role Player Game….and me starting to pay closer attention to how interactive these online games are.

The kids still play that game and the newer version City of Villains today. World of Warcraft is another MMORPG that you may have heard of because it is hugely popular and in the news sometimes.

Imagine my concern when the latest McAfee research paper was released, “Inside the Password Stealing Business: The Who and How of Identity Theft” and they announced that gaming passwords are the most targeted logins on the web!

Below are three ways that apparently the new hacker tricks have moved beyond keyloggers:

1. Now the malware takes screenshots as you enter passwords.

2. Some malware will just go straight into your browser and steal the passwords you have saved so you don’t have to type it in every time you visit a favorite site.

3. Cybercriminals can even hijack legitimate websites and create a pop-up that asks for your login information.

But I was still thinking.. ‘why gaming logins over bank and credit card information?’ So I went to my resident expert – my 18 year old son. Here is what he told me.

Cyber Son – “In the world of online gaming there’s nothing more valuable than rare in-game items. There is a huge black market for items found in certain video games. People are willing to pay big money for, say, a rare weapon that can only be obtained through difficult tasks and quests. Some people are more willing to spend money than do said requirements. So criminals are willing to steal gaming passwords of “1337” (internet slang for “elite”) players to take in-game items and sell them to the highest bidder.”

No matter what you do when you surf, we all need to be careful with passwords. Make them hard to guess but easy for you to remember. I have three different passwords I use with different grades of difficulty – the hardest for financial sites such as my bank or Paypal, easier passwords for sites that I just need to join to participate but that don’t have any financial connection.

Cyber Moms tips of the day

1. Make sure you are running a current version of a comprehensive security suite (that has two-way firewall protection).

2. Never save passwords in your browser for financial/banking/credit card sites or shopping sites where your credit card information is saved.

3. If you are worried your system is already infected, use McAfee’s complimentary malware scanner, McAfee FreeScan.

4. McAfee’s Cybercrime Response Unit is a free source of great information if you have been a victim of a cybercrime or just want to assess your level of risk.

Tracy
@McAfeeCybermom
cybermom@mcafee.com

Before I took on the role of Cyber Mom, I never thought much about setting up the computer. Plug it in and get online as fast as I could to see what the thing can do, right? Now I think twice. I had heard a statistic somewhere in my travels that a new PC can get infected after three minutes of surfing online – not sure if it is true, but it is worth heading some caution. No?

Cyber Mom’s Tips for Securing a New PC

1. Set up the computer - the computer will walk you through this process.

2. Install/setup a comprehensive security product immediately!– Most new computers have a free trial of a security suite pre-loaded on the computer. If you use Comcast for high speed internet, you get a complimentary subscription to McAfee.

I suggest you set this up before you begin surfing the internet or if you need to download the software, do so immediately. If your security program has a firewall, now is the time to set that up as well.

3. If you have kids, consider setting up a program that allows kids to explore the internet responsibly and safely, such as McAfee Family Protection. For me, it gives me peace of mind when I am not able to be with the kids and they need to use the computer. What I like best about this product is that I customize it for each child no matter what their age or interests.

4. My computer was loaded with “bloatware” – those free trials and links that come pre-loaded on the computer. Although they are not dangerous, they do take up space on your hard drive. I deleted the products I didn’t want to use in the add/remove programs in the control panel. There were also some links to websites that I wasn’t interested in, but they don’t get removed the same way. Simply right click on the icon on the desktop or in the startup menu and select delete to remove these.

5. Use strong passwords with combinations of numbers and letter. Click here for other tips for kids and tweens.

Now that you are set up, protected and clean, have fun! With protective software and some common sense, you or your kids can enjoy surfing the net. I have the computers in my home loaded with software to protect my kids, the computers and my identity – the whole kit and caboodle! Use your head and stay safe out there!

As a side note, this week we lost Patrick Swayze to pancreatic cancer. Dirty Dancing still is one of those movies I can watch over and over again. This week I heard many stories about what a good person he was and how great he was to work with- really great to hear. What wasn’t so great to hear was that cybercriminals are once again using the story to infect computers. So be aware of scams and spammers and stay protected.

Tracy
@McAfeeCybermom
cybermom@mcafee.com

Last year at this time, I met the director of a pre-school who told me she was terrified of the computer and therefore never let her kids on it unless she was sitting with them. I can understand that there are scary things on the web, but with all the wonderful, educational things on the internet it is unrealistic to take this approach. I had to point out to her that home is not the only place kids can access the internet. Kids have access at school, at the library and at their friend’s house. So it is important to give kids the tools they need to stay safe while surfing starting when they are young.

According to a poll McAfee did with Harris Interactive, 32 % of teenagers clear the browser history when they have finished using the computer and 16% have created private e-mail addresses or social networking profiles to hide what they do online from their parents. And double the number of teen girls compared to boys have shared photos or physical descriptions of themselves online to someone they don’t know (34 per cent girls vs. 15 per cent boys).

Want to prevent your kids from engaging in this kind of behavior? Start talking to them and setting reasonable rules for them to follow. If you are not sure what your kids need to know, here are the main things to stress. ( I am giving the basic topics. You can make them age appropriate for your child and value appropriate for your family.)

1. Passwords – make them easy to remember but hard to guess. Never share them – even with your best friend.

2. Strangers online are no different from strangers on the street. I explain to my kids that just because the person on Club Penguin or City of Villains says they are your age, doesn’t mean they really are. People can say they are anyone so it is never wise to meet them offline alone.

3. Never share personal information online – never post your home address, home or cell number, physical description, photos, etc.

4. Make sure profiles on social networks are set to private. This way pages can only be seen by people you know.

5. Never be mean, but you don’t have to be nice. The main online golden rule. It means that kids should never bully or say mean things to other kids, but when strangers approach them online – they don’t have to respond or engage them in any way.

Understand that occasionally they will slip up. Remind them of the rules and move on. This is the best way to ensure that your kids stay safe and that they know they can come to you when they need help.

I also enjoy when my kids show me something about the wild, wild web. It keeps the conversation fun and interesting. Ask your kids tonight to show you something fun or unusual that they have found.

Here is one of my favorites… http://www.jacksonpollock.org/ – don’t forget to click occasionally. Have fun!

Tracy
@McAfeeCybermom
cybermom@mcafee.com

It’s not the first, not even the ten-thousandth time. Thousands of times a week victims of cyberabuse and cybercrimes seek the identify of “anonymous” bloggers, posters and Internet users who have used the Internet as a weapon to hurt them, threaten them or insult them. Luckily for them, we leave a trail of cyber-breadcrumbs behind us wherever we go online. “Anonymous” is rarely anonymous.

The case was also incorrectly described as a lawsuit against Google (who owns and operates blogger.com). It wasn’t a lawsuit against Google. It was a motion in a lawsuit against the unknown blogger who was using a blogger.com account to do her dirty work. They were seeking to compel Google to give them information they need in the case.

Rather than debunk the misunderstandings and false claims of “firsts,” let me explain how these cases work (or should work). The reality versus the hype.

This has nothing to do with “free speech.” Let’s do a quick primer on “free speech.” In the US we equate free speech with our First Amendment. This only covers governmental action – the ability of governmental agencies to make laws, not what people do to each other. Defamation is an exception to permitted “free” speech. So is harassment. And you can’t threaten the life of the President or others. You can’t claim to have a bomb in an airport. Ads and other commercial speech can be regulated.

Free speech usually has nothing to do with people harassing each other in real life or online. (It’s slightly more complicated than this. But you can read more about this at Aftab.com, WiredSafety.org or at CDT.org.)
When someone says mean or hurtful things about you online, what they say falls into one of three categories, in the same way they do in the real world. (The cyberlaws here are not much different from the offline ones.)

• They can be rude, but not actionable. (“I hate you. You’re stupid! No one likes you”, etc.)

• They can be defamatory or harassing, and be civilly actionable (through a lawsuit, instead of through the police, such as “You are a crook, child molester or drunk”, etc. when you are not).

• Or they can be criminal harassment or other similar cybercrimes and actionable through the police. (This typically involves a serious threat of bodily harm or repetitive communications after being asked to stop, such as “I am going to kill you, hurt your children or defraud others using your identity”, etc. or sending you 500 text messages after you let them know you are not interested in getting their texts.)

Assuming that the online attacks arise to the level of defamation or harassment and are actionable in some way you have a case. But you don’t yet know whom to sue. Most cyberlawyers begin by filing a “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” lawsuit, alleging defamation or harassment and laying out the facts, but naming John or Jane Doe as the defendants or one of the defendants. The suit is filed and the cyberlawyer will draft a subpoena (a legal demand) and serve it on the Internet or mobile service provider hosting the blog, posts or other communication tools used in the attacks. They will demand that the service provider turn over all information they have on the person creating the blog or post or sending the communication.

Most service providers have carefully created policies to handle these demands. And their privacy policies should reflect those. (That’s one of the reasons it’s a good idea to read them before using a site.) They may require a formal subpoena or court order, or reserve the right to turn over this information in the event they think it is necessary to protect their users, themselves or the public. They may demand that the subpoena be “docketed” in their jurisdiction, which requires a local lawyer be retained in most cases, or they can accept a faxed subpoena. They have full discretion, as long as they describe it in their privacy policy accurately.

In most cases, the service providers will promptly respond to a criminal subpoena served by law enforcement and not notify their user about whom the information is being sought. But if the subpoena is served civilly by a lawyer in a suit, they often will give their user notice of the request and an opportunity to fight the subpoena and prevent their identity from being disclosed. If the subpoena is fought, a judge has to get involved to decide if the subpoena was warranted or not. The judge doesn’t decide whether or not the plaintiff will win the ultimate lawsuit, just whether or not the subpoena will lead to information that can assist in the suit.

That is the status of the model’s legal action to date. Someone (who turned out to be a female acquaintance) posted nasty statements about her. Whether those statements are defamation or merely rude will have to await a jury’s verdict. But the model’s lawyer was able to convince a judge that Google should turn over the information they have to him so he can name the blogger and serve her with the complaint. The blogger will have her real day in court, but so will the model.

If there was no merit in the case, the judge in all likelihood would have denied the plaintiff’s motion to compel Google to turn over the information about the blogger.

What information does Google have about this blogger? While I don’t know for sure, the information provided to date includes the blogger’s e-mail address and IP information. The IP information (standing for “Internet protocol”) is often recorded by service providers for every post, login and upload using their service. They tie this information to accounts and generally keep it for between 3 and 6 months before deleting it.

Sometimes they tie this IP information entirely to the blog post, profile or account. Unfortunately, if this is the case once the content is deleted (often at the request of the victim) the IP evidence they need to track the poster is lost with it. (That’s why it is crucial to ask the service provider or site to “preserve the data” when they shut down the account or remove the offending content.)

Service providers that charge for their services will have more authenticated information (creditcard numbers, verified addresses, full names, etc.) than providers that permit you to set up an account without even a verified e-mail address. A well-drafted subpoena will take that into consideration. Facebook has authenticated e-mail addresses and IP addresses. So does Google for blogger.com account holders. They know the dates the user last logged in, friends and permitted users, the sources of linked images, videos and content. But that is often more than enough when combined with offline evidence.

So, what does this mean for people who are or feel harassed online? It means they have options. They can ignore the attacks (often the best option if someone is looking to provoke you), ask the site or provider to remove the offensive content, hire a lawyer or call the police. It’s not always easy making that choice.
You should consider:

• How hurtful and how well-spread the bashing is and can become. If they are Parez Hilton it’s one thing. If no one will ever read their blog, it’s another.

• How well known are you? Celebrities and cyber-celebs are used to being bashed and targeted. If you are a local mayor or PTA president, you may be used to attacks and online attacks are no different. The more well-known you are, the more likely your response will generate attention, while their blog alone won’t.

• How can the bashing potentially hurt you -is it personal or is it business? Can it hurt your business? A relationship? Just your feelings? A business owner may be targeted by a competitor posing as a blogger or anonymous poster. That can have serious economic effects. Even if you aren’t particularly well-known, if the post makes it to the front page or second page of Google searches for you, it can have serious impact on your reputation.

• How would you react if this had happened offline? Would you have ignored it? Asked the person to stop? Called the police? Think about if you would have been upset, but then brushed it off offline. The only differences between online and offline bashing is that you often know the identity of your offline basher, while 70% of online harassment takes place anonymously or with stolen identities, and online bashing can live on long after the attack was launched. The Internet has a very long memory. As I always say, “what you post online stays online…forever!” The same holds true with your basher’s posts. Take that into consideration. But remember that a lawsuit make bring even more attention to the bash.

• Can you go the distance? A lawsuit or protracted criminal proceedings can be exhausting, keep you enmeshed with the basher, the negativity and the past. Lawyers are expensive, especially if they understand cyberlaw. (And if they don’t, their inefficiency and mistakes will cost you even more!) Legal fees can run upwards of $200,000 and cases can take years. If you win, most of the time you still have to bear your own legal fees, which can often exceed whatever you recover.

• How much can you win? Even with a good case and lawyer, there is no guarantee that you’ll win. And if you win on the liability part, you still need to prove damages.” Hurt feelings don’t qualify. Can you prove how much you lost in business? Did your spouse leave you or your boss fire you? Can you prove this was a direct result of the bashing? How much can you prove?

• How much can you collect? I know. It’s the principle, not the money. But if it’s costing you thousands in legal fees and experts and years of your time, some cash “principal” can be a helpful combination with your win on “principles” too. Just know that the millions you hope to win may not be collectible. Be realistic. How many wealthy enemies do you have? Unless they have insurance (businesses may), you are at the mercy of their net worth and likelihood of their filing for bankruptcy. So a big win and jury verdict may be worth no money in the end. If you are really in it for the “principle” that might be okay. But the time to consider that is BEFORE you shell out attorneys’ fees and waste years of anguish.

I hope this helps you understand the law, your rights and your options. And for those of you who forget to thinkB4uClick, consider the consequences of acting out online. It may not be worth it.

Parry