What Is Cyberstalking? How to Recognize The Risks and Protect Yourself

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What Is Cyberstalking? Tips to Prevent Attacks from Online Stalkers - A Brief Guide

Do you receive repeated messages, emails, or photos from the same person that you don’t want? Are they spreading rumors about you online or even worse, attempting to hack your social media or personal accounts? You might have a cyberstalker on your trail. The definition of cyberstalking is when a smart device is used relentlessly to pursue someone without their consent and the interactions cause the victims to feel fear.

Unfortunately for 1 in 6 women and 1 in 17 men in the United States have experienced stalking in their lifetime. The more you are online, the greater your risk. Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to prevent a cyberstalker from targeting you online.

How to prevent cyberstalking:

1. Don’t publish personal information.
2. Do an internet search of yourself.
3. Use privacy settings.
4. Automatically install security updates.
5. Use antivirus software.
6. Hide your IP address.
7. Password-protect all your devices and apps.
8. If you’ve experienced a breakup where the ex-partner is angry or abusive, reset your accounts.

Cyberstalking or stalking of any kind is a federal crime. Unfortunately, the doesn’t prevent vengeful exes or besotted want-to-be lovers from stalking you online. If you are a victim of cyberstalking, take action right away to reduce harm to yourself and prevent any further attacks against you.

What to do if you are a victim of cyberstalking:

1. Tell the cyberstalker to stop.
2. Report it.
3. Block the cyberstalker.
4. Save all evidence.
5. Set (or reset) privacy settings on devices.
6. Set privacy filters through your ISP.
7. Build a support network of friends, family, employers, and professional victim advocates.

Read on to find out more about how to protect yourself, and what to do if you are being cyberstalked!

The internet is an amazing tool that helps millions of people build businesses, meet friends or partners, and most of all, connect with things that bring you joy. But the internet is not a safe place, and there are many threats you need to be wary of, like becoming a victim of cyberstalking?

The definition of cyberstalking is when an internet-connected device is used by malicious actors to target someone through messages, emails, photos, videos, or on social media without their consent in a way that causes them to be fearful. If that sounds like something that’s happening to you, you might be the victim of cyberstalking.

What Is Cyberstalking?

Cyberstalking is just like real-life stalking, except stalkers use the web to target their victims online.  Some cyberstalkers only use the internet or smart devices to try and engage with the target. Other stalkers may also send letters, follow them around in person, or send parcels to the victim’s home.

Cyberstalking is a federal crime in the United States. Today, stalking is often a combination of both in-person and online stalking;  78% of stalkers in the U.S. use multiple means to harass their victims, and 1 in 4 stalking victims have reported being targeted through technology (phones or computers) according to the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center.

Here’s what you need to know about stalking

A study conducted by the National Institute of Justice Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines stalking as “harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property.”  Stalking involves a range of crimes committed against a victim that involve non-consensual interactions and usually occurs over a long period of time.

I’ve been “Facebook stalking” my crush, am I a cyberstalker?

Facebook “stalking” a crush for a few days isn’t stalking, but targeting someone repeatedly on Facebook or other social media sites through messages or comments even when asked to stop, is stalking and it is a crime. If you spend a few days fantasizing about ways to meet your crush on Facebook, you’re not a stalker, but Facebook is just one of the ways that a cyberstalker could target a victim.

Are You at Risk of Being Cyberstalked?

According to a 2017 study of online harassment by the PEW Research Center, 41% of Americans have experienced online harassment. Of that group, 7% have reported being stalked online. Online harassment, including stalking, is more likely to happen to younger people aged 18-29 years old. Ultimately, the more time you spend online, the greater your risk of becoming a victim to cybercrime, including severe cases of harassment like stalking.

A cyberstalker is usually someone you know

Cyberstalking is an international problem, too. According to a German study published in 2014, 63.5% of cyberstalking victims were harassed by someone they knew. Of that number, 35% were pursued by an ex-partner (usually after a relationship ends but happens at any point) and 28.5% were cyberstalked by a former friend or an acquaintance for weeks, months, and in some cases, a year or more. According to the study, stalkers were motivated by perceived feelings of rejection or insult, jealousy, and revenge.

Cyberstalkers typically use multiple methods to harass and torment their victims. Because most stalkers are someone you know at least a little, it’s likely they already know how to find you online. Social media accounts, forums, and direct emails are just a few of the ways cyberstalkers contact their targets. Though different online stalkers are motivated by different reasons, they often follow, track, and stalk their victims in different ways.

How Cyberstalkers Attack Victims

Some cyberstalkers are vengeful exes, some have unhealthy romantic obsessions with their victims. Depending on their motivation, cyberstalkers use a wide range of online methods to target and torment victims. It’s important to be familiar with these methods. It will help you recognize the signs that your or someone you care about is being cyberstalked.

Ways cyberstalking victims are contacted or attacked:

• Via e-mail
• Via text or online messaging
• On chatrooms or message boards
• By unwanted and repeated contact on social networking sites.
• On computers with threats related to identity fraud, electronic sabotage, spamming, or hacking.
• Through personal text messages or emails
• By contacting other people on the internet to slander or gather information about the victim.
• Posting public messages to our about the victim on message boards or forums.
• Sharing false information in order to damage the victim’s reputation.
• Publishing personal information like address, phone number, images to others online.
• Encouraging other internet users to contact the victim (stalking by proxy).
• Publishing false messages under the victim’s name.
• Hacking the victim’s computer and downloading personal files or information without consent.
• Sending viruses or spyware.
• Making purchases in the victim’s name.
• Publishing information or images on revenge porn websites.

Some methods are used more than others. Here’s a chart of the ways cyberstalkers target victims, including percentages:

Effects of Cyberstalking on Victims

Statistics Canada reported that 27% of victims were cyberstalked several times a day and 30.1% several times a week:

This relentless and persistent stress has serious consequences, emotionally and physically.

Effects of cyberstalking on the victim:

• Interrupted sleep patterns
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Anger and aggression
• Feelings of helplessness and distrust
• Problems with concentration
• Physical illness like headaches or stomachaches
• Fear of entering new relationships or issues with current partners.

Cyberstalking is devastating to the victim; bank accounts are hacked, personal or professional reputations tarnished by rumors spread by the stalker, or relationships damaged due to its after-effects. Like most discussions of online safety, it’s better to prevent online attacks before they happen and protect yourself from cybercrime as much as possible.

How to Prevent Cyberstalking

Preventing cyberstalking is all about maintaining good digital “hygiene.” This involves taking basic online safety precautions across your devices and social media accounts that keep your personal information private so stalkers can’t reach you in the first place. This won’t just keep you safe from cyberstalkers, but any online criminal looking for easy targets.

Ways to prevent cyberstalking

1. Don’t publish personal information.
2. Do an internet search of yourself.
3. Use privacy settings.
4. Automatically install security updates.
5. Use antivirus software.
6. Hide your IP address.
7. Password-protect all your devices and apps.
8. If you’ve experienced a breakup where the ex-partner is angry or abusive, reset your accounts.

Don’t publish personal information

Be wary of what you post anywhere on the internet. For example, if you’re going out to dinner with friends, in one Instagram post you may geo-tag what restaurant you are at, what time it is, and tag which friends you’re with. If you have a cyberstalker on your trail, you’ve given them an open book to your lifestyle, intimate connections, and favorite spots (where they can find you). You might want to revise your Instagram privacy settings. Additionally, never post your address, birth date, phone number, real email, or bank account details anywhere online. Use fake names or usernames when signing up for social media accounts. It’s also a good idea to use different emails so if one is hacked, the rest of your accounts aren’t compromised as well.

Unfortunately, you may not be the only person posting personal details about your life. Tell your friends and family not to tag you in photos, share your location, or post any personal details about you on social media sites.

Keeping your private details hidden is difficult especially if you own or operate a business online, which is increasingly common. If you own a blog or website, use a contact form for consumer questions instead of a direct email.

Do an internet search of where you appear online

Has a website posted details about you without you knowing? Ask them to remove it. Make note of where your photos and information appear online and make sure your personal information is not visible. The blog you started five years ago might still be out there with your photo and personal email address. It’s probably time to take that down.

Use privacy settings

Almost every reputable apps or social media site has privacy settings. Make sure that only your approved contacts see your profile, make comments, or send you messages and not the general public. Social media sites like Facebook, change their privacy policies frequently, so make sure you check regularly and update your privacy settings to be as private as possible. You’ll find the privacy features under your profile in a ” Settings” tab in most social media apps.

Automatically install security updates

Devices like smartphones, computers, and tablets regularly receive security or bug fixes. Often these are in response to a recent hack or new security vulnerabilities, like Apple’s macOS and Microsoft’s software exploit September 2021. It’s tempting to snooze or delay those updates until a more convenient time, but don’t do that. The best tip is to set all updates to install automatically so as soon as a security fix is released, your phone installs it. This keeps you safe from all kinds of cybercrime including hacking, which some cyberstalkers use to harm their victim.

Use antivirus software

Some cyberstalkers use malware or spyware to gain access to your computer to steal your information or spy on you. Harmful links are hidden in emails and aren’t obvious to many users. Antivirus software prevents those attacks, among other things, by doing a virus scan of your devices. To help you choose a good antivirus software program, we’ve reviewed and suggested a few like Kaspersky and Bitdefender.

Hide your IP address using a VPN

Another way to protect your identity from online criminals is to use a virtual private network (VPN) when you are browsing the internet. In extreme cases,  cyberstalkers hack victims’ computers to try and peek into what they are doing online. A VPN creates a secure path where information from your computer is encrypted, so third parties or cybercriminals can’t tie your activity to your personal information. Essentially, you can browse the internet anonymously.

When you use social media apps like Snapchat or Twitter, you are still tied to your account. A VPN doesn’t make you completely invisible in that sense, but it does protect your personal information from outsiders trying to look at you without your consent, and keeps you safe on a public Wifi connection. Combine a VPN with a good antivirus program, and you’ll boost your online safety and security by a considerable margin.

Password protect all devices and accounts

Use unique passwords on all your devices and accounts. Since cyberstalkers are more likely to be someone you know, they can guess easy passwords. Avoid using weak passwords, and try not to reuse the same password on different accounts. You need to create a strong password. Not only that but your password should be changed regularly so it’s harder for cyberstalkers to hack your accounts. There are a lot of good, free password manager apps out there that we’re reviewed and recommended like NordPass, RememBear, and Blur.

Take precautions after a bad break-up

If your ex-partner is angry, abusive, or being difficult, change all of your passwords, including email, social media sites, and bank accounts. Many cyberstalking crimes are committed by disgruntled ex-partners, so take precautions.

No matter how well you protect your accounts and identity online, there’s still a chance you may become a victim of cyberstalking, especially if you spend a lot of time online. It’s important to know how to recognize cyberstalking in order to stop it before it gets worse.

How to Recognize Cyberstalking

Are you noticing the same username commenting on your posts? Are you getting a lot of unwanted messages or emails from someone you do or don’t know? Is that person showing up at the same places you are online or offline? These are signs you are being cyberstalked, but they are not the only things to look out for.

Signs you have a cyberstalker:

• Receiving a lot of unwanted messages from the same person online.
• You get inappropriate messages you didn’t ask for.
• They try to disconnect you from family and friends.
• You notice someone is posting rumors about you online.
• Personal bank or social media accounts are hacked.

Pay attention to your account activity online and note when something or someone is acting odd. It might be a cyberstalker. If you receive repeated, unwanted communications, threats, or fear for yourself in any way, it’s time to take action.

What To Do if You’re a Victim of Cyberstalking

Are you being stalked online? If so, it’s probably someone you know who you’ve already friended on social media sites or someone who has your email and phone numbers. No, you don’t have to flush your phone down the toilet or take a hammer to your computer (that wouldn’t really work anyway). There are steps to take right away to reduce harm to yourself and prevent further attacks.

Steps to protect yourself from an active cyberstalker:

1. Tell the cyberstalker to stop.
2. Report it.
3. Block the cyberstalker.
4. Save all evidence.
5. Set (or reset) privacy settings on devices.
6. Set privacy filters through your ISP.
7. Tell friends and family what is going on.

Tell the cyberstalker to stop contacting you

First, tell the cyberstalker to stop. Make it clear that you do not want any further communications from them in any form whether it’s on or off-line. Some targets warn stalkers that they will file a police report if they don’t stop. Cyberstalkers will either stop or increase their attacks, unfortunately; you won’t know which it is until you’ve made contact and told them to stop. Save a record of your communications in case you do need to file a complaint or police report.

Report it

Most social media sites, like Instagram, have features where you can report harmful behavior that’s happening on their site. If their activity violates the platform’s privacy policies or community guidelines, they will be banned.

If the cyberstalking continues, or you receive a threat to your personal safety, report it to law enforcement and plan to include all records of communications from the cyberstalker. In the United States, there is a federal law, 18 U.S. Code section 2261A, that deals with cyberstalking. It amended a law involving stalking to include consequences for a stalker who uses electronic means to harass their victims. Most states in the U.S. have laws that address cybercrimes or harassment and cyberstalkers will face consequences.

If you know your computer has been hacked or fraud has occurred, you can report it to the F.B.I. or make a complaint with the Internet Crime Complain Center (IC3).  Reporting internet crimes is easier when you save all evidence you have of the crime, discussed more below.

Block the cyberstalker on all platforms

Use in-app blocking features on your social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat so the cyberstalking cannot reach you. If you own a website or blog, on WordPress for example, you or domain administrators can block a specific IP address from accessing your site.

Save all communications for evidence

Save and print messages or take screenshots of interactions and do not alter them in any way. Law enforcement use emails, instant messages, comments on social media posts are used as evidence, if necessary.

Set (or reset) privacy settings on your devices

If you haven’t already, go to your privacy settings on your social media accounts and make sure that only your approved contacts can message you, your personal information is not visible to the general public, and sites or devices aren’t sharing your private data with third-party accounts.

If a cyberstalker creates a new account to get in contact with you, you need to prevent them from regaining access after you’ve blocked them. Tweaking your privacy settings for WhatsApp or on smart devices like your iPhone or iPad is important if you want to protect your personal information and identity.

Build a support network including friends, family, employers, and professional victim advocates

As an online harassment victim, you have every right to be scared, stressed, and feel anxious. Friends and family can offer support. Also, if they know what’s going on, they can make sure they aren’t sharing personal information about you, or tip you off if the cyberstalker reaches out to them.

If you think the stalker may try and contact you at work, let your employer or human resources manager know. They can support you and even help reduce any damage to your professional image by taking their own office security measures.

Online harassment and abuse is an unfortunate consequence of the internet. There are organizations prepared to help victims get the support you need.

• Victim Connect Resource Center 
• National Domestic Violence Hotline
• National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline

Cyberstalkers and want you to feel isolated. Don’t let them win. Build a strong support network that will help you overcome the challenges of internet stalking.

Protect Yourself From Cyberstalkers

Being a cyberstalking victim is scary. Letting a cyberstalker pursue you online for too long can damage your emotional health, online reputation, or harm your online accounts. However, you can take steps to protect yourself online and avoid becoming a victim of cyberstalking by understanding the signs of cyberstalking like repeated unwanted messages from someone online. If you do become a target of cyberstalking, report it right away to social media sites and law enforcement.

Remember, don’t share personal information online and set privacy settings on all your accounts and devices. Finally, find support. Whether it’s friends, family, and or a therapist, make sure you set up a system of support that’s there to help you through a difficult time.