Cybercrime, Cybercriminals & Internet Safety
Program Titles
- The Wild, Wild Web: The Basics of Online Investigations
- Spam Not In A Can
- Protecting Children Online
- Internet Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft
- Office Knowhow: Staying Safe Online
- Cyber harassment & cyber crime expert
- True Crime Online: Shocking Stories of Scamming, Stalking, Murder, & Mayhem
- The Wild, Wild Web: Cyberbullying, Social Media & You
- Jayne Hitchcock on Cyberbullying Prevention
Jayne Hitchcock is a leading cybercrime expert who trains law enforcement, security personnel, educators, and others on how to track down cybercriminals and work with victims.
She speaks on online safety, including but not limited to shopping, auctions, general safety, spam, viruses, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, and more.
Jayne’s experience with online harassment and cyberstalking, which garnered international headlines, has led her to become a noted cybercrime and security expert.
She trains law enforcement personnel and works with several organizations, including the Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, the National Center for Victims of Crime, and many law enforcement agencies.
She also goes to schools to speak about staying safer online, cyberbullying, social media, and more to students from the early grades up to college/university levels.
Jayne has also been involved in getting laws passed regarding online harassment / cyberstalking.
Jayne is the author of seven books detailing online crimes, scams, spam, and more, complete with case histories, experts, and advice on protecting yourself, your family, and your computer online.
One of the earliest advocates protecting cyberstalking and cyberbullying victims, Jayne A. Hitchcock, received the Mary Litynski Award for her efforts in assisting cyberstalking and cyberbullying victims, training law enforcement, supporting cyberstalking legislation, and teaching teenagers how to protect themselves online.
This lifetime achievement award for her work as president of Working to Halt Online Abuse and in aiding thousands of online victims was presented by the Messaging, Malware, and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group.
Hitchcock became a cyberstalking advocate when she was targeted with threatening emails and defamatory messages posted in her name online after she exposed a fraudulent publishing scheme on a Usenet message board.
When the local police did not have the tools or knowledge to help her, Hitchcock fought back by learning all she could about the technology.
As a result, she became one of the earliest experts on how to identify online stalkers. She testified in support of the first U.S. email harassment bill passed in 1998 and helped draft or support legislative efforts to establish cyberstalking as a crime in over 20 states.
“Cyberstalking and harassment are hideous online crimes because victims often suffer in fearful silence without knowing where to turn for help or even that help is available.
Jayne has brought this problem out in the open, and her commitment has saved lives and kept the industry focused on working together to find solutions”.
About half the cases fighting online harassment are perpetrated by someone the victim knows, such as a friend, ex-spouse, or previous work colleague. The other half usually results from “road rage” when an online disagreement escalates to dangerous proportions, Hitchcock noted in her acceptance speech.
“When communication becomes threatening or harassing, you should respond just once by succinctly telling the perpetrator to stop contacting you.
Don’t get pulled into their emotional manipulation or accusations. After that, don’t reply to their emails or other communications but keep a copy of everything.
Also be sure to contact the abuse department where the agitation started, such as Facebook, Twitter or Snapchat,” Hitchcock said.
To help protect yourself from being harassed, Hitchcock suggested:
• Use a gender-neutral email address.
• Use an email address from a free provider, such as Gmail or Yahoo!, rather than one supplied by your online service provider. This will make it harder for a stalker to discover where you live.
• Avoid heated online arguments – just step away before the discussion becomes toxic.
• Do not help friends who are being stalked or harassed by engaging with the perpetrators on their behalf.
Instead, support their efforts to stop the crime by directing them to contact the appropriate authorities and abuse desks.
In her middle and high school educational programs for students, she shows how the students’ supposedly innocuous social media posts and profiles can make them vulnerable to threats and harassment.
Although teenagers are sophisticated in their use of technology, many are shocked at the personal details Hitchcock finds that they thought were private.
Teenagers also need to understand that cyberbullying can be a crime, and there are nonjudgmental people and organizations to protect them.
Hitchcock encourages students to report abuse by talking with a trusted adult such as a teacher or coach, directly messaging Phoebe the Cyber Crime Dog, the mascot and her Siberian Husky, a certified therapy dog, or completing the harassment reporting form, among other resources.
“Bullied students often have no clue where to seek help, and many are desperate.
Students can be very reluctant to tell their parents, even those with good family relationships because they’re afraid the first line of defense will be to take away their Internet privileges.” Hitchcock said.
Since its founding, she has helped over 4,000 victims and now has a staff of advocates.
Hitchcock also has written three books about cybercrime, Net Crimes & Misdemeanors, first and second editions, and True Crime Online.
A book on cyberbullying will be published in late 2016.
Mary Litynski Award is presented annually to someone who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many years to help protect online users.
Books by Jayne Hitchcock
- Net Crimes & Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering The Spammers, Swindlers and Stalkers Who Are Targeting You Online
- Who is Targeting You Online?
- True Crime Online: Shocking Stories of Scamming, Stalking, Murder, and Mayhem
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