Internet safety

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Internet safety, also known as online safety, cyber safety and electronic safety (e-safety), refers to the policies, practices and processes that reduce the harms to people that are enabled by the (mis)use of information technology.

Contents

As the number of internet users continues to grow worldwide, [1] internets, governments, and organizations have expressed concerns about the safety of children and teenagers and the elderly using the Internet. Over 45% have announced they have endured some sort of cyber-harassment. Safer Internet Day is celebrated worldwide in February to raise awareness about internet safety. [2] In the UK the Get Safe Online campaign has received sponsorship from government agency Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) and major Internet companies such as Microsoft and eBay. [3]

Online safety is necessary and validated as many businesses have been faced with excesses of attacks on the internet which has resulted in losing one’s life on the part of the victims, committing suicide, or psychological disorderliness. Cyberattacks on businesses and organizations are becoming a growing trend, and Africa is not exempted. The productivity, income, and client trust of organizations are all negatively impacted, not to mention the customers' security. [4]

Information security

Sensitive information such as personal information and identity, passwords are often associated with personal property and privacy and may present security concerns if leaked. Unauthorized access and usage of private information may result in consequences such as identity theft, as well as theft of property. Common causes of information security breaches include:

Phishing

Phishing is a type of scam where the scammers disguise themselves as trustworthy source in an attempt to obtain private information such as passwords, credit card information, etc. through the internet. These fake websites are often designed to look identical to their legitimate counterparts to avoid suspicion from the user. [5] Normally, hackers will send third-party email to target requesting personal information, and they will use this as an entry point to implement attack. [6]

Malware

Malware, particularly spyware, is malicious software designed to collect and transmit private information, such as passwords, without the user's consent or knowledge. They are often distributed through e-mail, software, and files from unofficial locations. Malware is one of the most prevalent security concerns as often it is impossible to determine whether a file is infected, regardless of the source of the file.

Personal safety

The growth of the internet gave rise to many important services accessible to anyone with a connection. One of these important services is digital communication. While this service allowed communication with others through the internet, this also allowed communication with malicious users. While malicious users often use the internet for personal gain, this may not be limited to financial/material gain. This is especially a concern to parents and children, as children are often targets of these malicious users. Common threats to personal safety include phishing, internet scams, malware, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, online predators, and sextortion.

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is the use of the internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization. [7] It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, or gathering information that may be used to threaten, embarrass or harass. Cyberstalking is a crime in which someone harasses or stalks a victim using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, instant messaging (IM), or messages posted to a discussion group or forum. ... The terms cyberstalking and cyberbullying are often used interchangeably.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the use of electronic means such as instant messaging, social media, e-mail and other forms of online communication with the intent to abuse, intimidate, or overpower an individual or group. Over the past decade, cyberbullying has been identified as a significant problem for youth. [8] [9] In a 2012 study of over 11,925 students in the United States, it was indicated that 23% of adolescents reported being a victim of cyberbullying, 30% of which reported experiencing suicidal behavior. [10] [11] The Australian eSafety Commissioner's website reports that 44% of young Australians report being socially excluded, threatened or abused online. [12]

Sometimes, this takes the form of posting unverifiable and illegal libelous statements on harassment websites. [13] These websites then run advertisements encouraging the victims to pay thousands of dollars to related businesses to get the posts removed – temporarily, as opposed to the free and permanent removal process available through major web search engines. [13]

Child-on-child abuse (peer-on-peer abuse) that happens online often falls under cyberbullying. However, it goes much further. It can include physical and sexual abuse or harassment, relationships abuse, grooming and more. [14] [15]

Online predation

Online predation is the act of engaging an underage minor in inappropriate sexual relationships through the internet. Online predators may attempt to initiate and seduce minors into relationships through the use of chat rooms or internet forums.

Online grooming

Online grooming usually refers to child sexual abuse but can also refer to radicalisation, drug trafficking, and financial gain. Grooming is when a stranger targets a child by befriending them and gaining their trust. Once they gain this trust, the groomer can manipulate the child to do what they want, which may include sending sexual images, running drugs, or any number of other activities. [16]

Obscene/offensive content

Various websites on the internet content material that some deem offensive, distasteful or explicit, which may often be not of the user's liking. Such websites may include internet, shock sites, hate speech or otherwise inflammatory content. Such content may manifest in many ways, such as pop-up ads and unsuspecting links. [17]

Sextortion

Sextortion, especially via the use of webcams, is a concern, especially for those who use webcams for flirting and cybersex. [18] [19] Often this involves a cybercriminal posing as someone else - such as an attractive person - initiating communication of a sexual nature with the victim. The victim is then persuaded to undress in front of a webcam, and may also be persuaded to engage in sexual behaviour, such as masturbation. [20] The video is recorded by the cybercriminal, who then reveals their true intent and demands money or other services (such as more explicit images of the victim, in cases of online predation), threatening to publicly release the video and send it to family members and friends of the victim if they do not comply. [20] A video highlighting the dangers of sextortion has been released by the National Crime Agency [21] in the UK to educate people, especially given the fact that blackmail of a sexual nature may cause humiliation to a sufficient extent to cause the victim to take their own life, [19] in addition to other efforts to educate the public on the risks of sextortion. [18]

See also

Groups and individuals working on the topic

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cybercrime</span> Type of crime based in computer networks

Cybercrime encompasses a wide range of criminal activities that are carried out using digital devices and/or networks. These crimes involve the use of technology to commit fraud, identity theft, data breaches, computer viruses, scams, and expanded upon in other malicious acts. Cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks to gain unauthorized access, steal sensitive information, disrupt services, and cause financial or reputational harm to individuals, organizations, and governments.

Internet security is a branch of computer security. It encompasses the Internet, browser security, web site security, and network security as it applies to other applications or operating systems as a whole. Its objective is to establish rules and measures to use against attacks over the Internet. The Internet is an inherently insecure channel for information exchange, with high risk of intrusion or fraud, such as phishing, online viruses, trojans, ransomware and worms.

The Australian High Tech Crime Centre (AHTCC) are hosted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) at their headquarters in Canberra. Under the auspices of the AFP, the AHTCC is party to the formal Joint Operating Arrangement established between the AFP, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Computer Network Vulnerability Team of the Australian Signals Directorate.

Sexual grooming is the action or behavior used to establish an emotional connection with a minor, and sometimes the child's family, to lower the child's inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse. It can occur in various settings, including online, in person, and through other means of communication. Children who are groomed may experience mental health issues, including "anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal thoughts."

Crimeware is a class of malware designed specifically to automate cybercrime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parry Aftab</span> American lawyer

Parry Aftab is an Internet privacy and security lawyer, considered one of the founders of cyberlaw and founder of the world's largest and oldest cybersafety charity. Named by The Boston Herald as "the leading expert in cybercrime in the world," Aftab wrote the first cybersafety book in the world for parents and has received a long list of honors and has been appointed to the boards of directors and advisory boards of several companies, including TRUSTe, Facebook, MTV and Sesame Street Online. She is a longtime Internet safety expert who founded the Internet safety organization WiredSafety, StopCyberbullying and the consulting firm, WiredTrust. She was "the Privacy Lawyer" columnist for Information Week Magazine for many years. In 2016 Parry Aftab founded Cybersafety India and the StopCyberbullying and sextortion and morphing prevention initiatives for India. She resides in both the US and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyberethics</span> Ethics of online activities

Cyberethics is "a branch of ethics concerned with behavior in an online environment". In another definition, it is the "exploration of the entire range of ethical and moral issues that arise in cyberspace" while cyberspace is understood to be "the electronic worlds made visible by the Internet." For years, various governments have enacted regulations while organizations have defined policies about cyberethics.

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization. It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, doxing, or blackmail. These unwanted behaviors are perpetrated online and cause intrusion into an individual's digital life as well as negatively impact a victim's mental and emotional well-being, as well as their sense of safety and security online.

Internet abuse refers to improper use of the internet and may include:

Sextortion employs non-physical forms of coercion to extort sexual favors from the victim. Sextortion refers to the broad category of sexual exploitation in which abuse of power is the means of coercion, as well as to the category of sexual exploitation in which threatened release of sexual images or information is the means of coercion.

Cyberstalking and cyberbullying are relatively new phenomena, but that does not mean that crimes committed through the network are not punishable under legislation drafted for that purpose. Although there are often existing laws that prohibit stalking or harassment in a general sense, legislators sometimes believe that such laws are inadequate or do not go far enough, and thus bring forward new legislation to address this perceived shortcoming. In the United States, for example, nearly every state has laws that address cyberstalking, cyberbullying, or both.

Cyber crime, or computer crime, refers to any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target. Netcrime refers, more precisely, to criminal exploitation of the Internet. Issues surrounding this type of crime have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding hacking, copyright infringement, identity theft, child pornography, and child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise.

There is no commonly agreed single definition of “cybercrime”. It refers to illegal internet-mediated activities that often take place in global electronic networks. Cybercrime is "international" or "transnational" – there are ‘no cyber-borders between countries'. International cybercrimes often challenge the effectiveness of domestic and international law, and law enforcement. Because existing laws in many countries are not tailored to deal with cybercrime, criminals increasingly conduct crimes on the Internet in order to take advantages of the less severe punishments or difficulties of being traced.

Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers and adolescents, due to the communication technology advancements and young people's increased use of such technologies. Cyberbullying is when someone, typically a teenager, bullies or harasses others on the internet and other digital spaces, particularly on social media sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit</span>

The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) is a Microsoft sponsored team of international legal and internet security experts employing the latest tools and technologies to stop or interfere with cybercrime and cyber threats. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit was assembled in 2008. In 2013, a Cybercrime center for the DCU was opened in Redmond, Washington. There are about 100 members of the DCU stationed just in Redmond, Washington at the original Cybercrime Center. Members of the DCU include lawyers, data scientists, investigators, forensic analysts, and engineers. The DCU has international offices located in major cities such as: Beijing, Berlin, Bogota, Delhi, Dublin, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Washington, D.C. The DCU's main focuses are child protection, copyright infringement and malware crimes. The DCU must work closely with law enforcement to ensure the perpetrators are punished to the full extent of the law. The DCU has taken down many major botnets such as the Citadel, Rustock, and Zeus. Around the world malware has cost users about $113 billion and the DCU's jobs is to shut them down in accordance with the law.

Blackshades is a malicious trojan horse used by hackers to control infected computers remotely. The malware targets computers using operating systems based on Microsoft Windows. According to US officials, over 500,000 computer systems have been infected worldwide with the software.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online predator</span> Person who commits child sexual abuse via the Internet

Online predators are individuals who commit child sexual abuse that begins or takes place on the Internet.

Online child abuse is a unique form of child abuse also known as “Cyber Molestation” due to its virtual, distanced, and anonymous nature. Such abuse may not happen face-to-face, nor does it necessarily require physical contact. However, online abuse can result in negative face-to-face consequences in the form of statutory rape, forcible sexual assault, harassment, etc. In the United States, online child abuse is recognized as a form of child abuse by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Internet security awareness or Cyber security awareness refers to how much end-users know about the cyber security threats their networks face, the risks they introduce and mitigating security best practices to guide their behavior. End users are considered the weakest link and the primary vulnerability within a network. Since end-users are a major vulnerability, technical means to improve security are not enough. Organizations could also seek to reduce the risk of the human element. This could be accomplished by providing security best practice guidance for end users' awareness of cyber security. Employees could be taught about common threats and how to avoid or mitigate them.

Cybersex trafficking, live streaming sexual abuse, webcam sex tourism/abuse or ICTs -facilitated sexual exploitation is a cybercrime involving sex trafficking and the live streaming of coerced sexual acts and/or rape on webcam.

References

  1. ↑ "Statistics". ITU.
  2. ↑ "SAFER INTERNET DAY". Commonwealth of Australia 2013. Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2013-09-24.
  3. ↑ "Get Safe Online".
  4. ↑ Vitus, Emmanuel N. (2023). "Cybercrime and Online Safety: Addressing the Challenges and Solutions Related to Cybercrime, Online Fraud, and Ensuring a Safe Digital Environment for All Users— A Case of African States". Tijer- International Research Journal. 10 (9): 975–989. doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24155610.v1.
  5. ↑ "Internet Phishing Alert". Archived from the original on 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2013-10-01.
  6. ↑ Diogenes, Yuri; Ozkaya, Erdal (2019). Cybersecurity-Attack and Denfense Strategies. p. 113. ISBN   978-1-83882-779-3.
  7. ↑ "Cyberstalking". Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2016-06-14. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  8. ↑ Slonje, Robert; Smith, Peter; Frisén, Ann (2013). "The nature of cyberbullying, and strategies for prevention". Computers in Human Behavior. 29 (1): 26–32. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.024.
  9. ↑ Jaya, M. Izham; Razak, Mohd Faizal Ab; Mohamad, Mastura; Hisham, Syifak Izhar (2022-07-21). "Cybercrime Behaviour in the Context of Youth Development". Mathematical Statistician and Engineering Applications. 71 (3s2): 1395. doi:10.5281/zenodo.7493949.
  10. ↑ Litwiller, Brett; Brausch, Amy (2013). "Cyber Bullying and Physical Bullying in Adolescent Suicide: The Role of Violent Behavior and Substance Use". Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 42 (5): 675–84. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9925-5. PMID   23381779. S2CID   30966940. ProQuest   1326638707.
  11. ↑ Bonanno, Rina; Hymel, Shelley (2013). "Cyber Bullying and Internalizing Difficulties: Above and Beyond the Impact of Traditional Forms of Bullying". Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 42 (5): 685–97. doi:10.1007/s10964-013-9937-1. PMID   23512485. S2CID   21315215. ProQuest   1326638708.
  12. ↑ "Cyberbullying". eSafety Commissioner. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
  13. 1 2 Krolik, Aaron; Hill, Kashmir (2021-04-24). "The Slander Industry". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  14. ↑ "What is online child-on-child abuse?". Internet Matters . Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  15. ↑ "Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  16. ↑ "Online grooming advice and risks". Internet Matters . Retrieved 2022-10-03.
  17. ↑ admin (2019-12-22). "Facts on Offensive or Obscene Content - Criminal Law - LAWS.COM". Criminal.laws.com. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  18. 1 2 "Sextortion (webcam blackmail)". Archived from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Webcam blackmail cases have doubled, police say". BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  20. 1 2 "The Skype sex scam - a fortune built on shame". BBC News. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  21. ↑ "'Sextortion': NCA releases awareness video". BBC News. 30 November 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
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