Spike in cyberstalking cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Cyberstalking or online harassment cases are on the rise in Malaysia, according to CyberSecurity Malaysia.

“The number of cyberstalking cases reported until October this year was 151 incidents compared to 72 for the whole of last year,” said CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Lt Col (retired) Husin Jazri.

“This figure could also be higher because not all harassment cases are reported by the victims,” he added.

Cyberstalking is when an individual or a group of individuals use the Internet or other electronic channels to stalk someone with malicious intentions.

The behaviour of a stalker includes making false accusations, slander, threats and sexual exploitation.

Compromising and abusing a victim’s e-mail accounts, identity theft, and gathering information about victims for the purpose of harassing are also typical behaviours of a stalker, Husin said.

In most cases the stalkers are people known to the victims and these may include the victim’s former partners, ex-spouse, colleagues, friends and competitors.

In Malaysia, the issue of cyber stalking is governed by Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Any contravention with this provision is a criminal offence where on conviction, the accused may be liable to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both and shall also be liable to a further fine of one thousand ringgit for everyday or part of a day during which the offence is continued after conviction.

for more information : http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2009/11/16/technology/20091116111900&sec=technology

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Romanian Hacker Prosecuted in U.S. for Id Theft, Cyberstalking!

“Guccifer” was accused by the U.S. federal grand jury for breaking into the e-mail of a family member of two presidents and, it has been stated that, he was the one who In 2013 publicized that George W. Bush the  previous President of USA was a painter.

one of those showing him posing beside a life-size cardboard cutout of himself with a moustache drawn on it and others showing paintings by him, including self-portraits.

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CYBER LAW ACTS IN MALAYSIA

The most important cyber law Acts in Malaysia has been reviewed in this Post. Hopefully it will helps you to defense yourself  against cyber crimes. The Acts Has been retrieved from MSC Malaysia.

• Communications & Multimedia Act 1998
• Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission Act 1998
• Digital Signature Act 1997
• Computer Crimes Act 1997
• Telemedicine Act 1997
• Copyright Act 1987
• Trade Marks Act 1976
• Patents Act 1983
• Industrial Designs Act 1996
• Layout Designs of Integrated Circuits Act 2000
• Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia Act 2002
• E-Commerce Act
  
  For further information click Here 

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Cyberstalking in California Can Mean Jail Time!

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How You Can Protect Against Cyberstalking - And What To Do If You Are A Victim

Prevention Tips

• Do not share personal information in public spaces anywhere online, nor give it to strangers, including in e-mail or chat rooms. Do not use your real name or nickname as your screen name or user ID. Pick a name that is gender- and age-neutral. And do not post personal information as part of any user profiles.
• Be extremely cautious about meeting online acquaintances in person. If you choose to meet, do so in a public place and take along a friend.
• Make sure that your ISP and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) network have an acceptable use policy that prohibits cyberstalking. And if your network fails to respond to your complaints, consider switching to a provider that is more responsive to user complaints.
• If a situation online becomes hostile, log off or surf elsewhere. If a situation places you in fear, contact a local law enforcement agency.

What To Do If You Are Being Cyberstalked

• If you are receiving unwanted contact, make clear to that person that you would like him or her not to contact you again.
• Save all communications for evidence. Do not edit or alter them in any way. Also, keep a record of your contacts with Internet system administrators or law enforcement officials.
• You may want to consider blocking or filtering messages from the harasser. Many e-mail programs such as Eudora and Microsoft Outlook have a filter feature, and software can be easily obtained that will automatically delete e-mails from a particular e-mail address or that contain offensive words. Chat room contact can be blocked as well. Although formats differ, a common chat room command to block someone would be to type: /ignore <person's screen name> (without the brackets). However, in some circumstances (such as threats of violence), it may be more appropriate to save the information and contact law enforcement authorities.
• If harassment continues after you have asked the person to stop, contact the harasser's Internet Service Provider (ISP). Most ISP's have clear policies prohibiting the use of their services to abuse another person. Often, an ISP can try to stop the conduct by direct contact with the stalker or by closing their account. If you receive abusive e-mails, identify the domain (after the "@" sign) and contact that ISP. Most ISP's have an e-mail address such as abuse@(domain name) or postmaster@(domain name) that can be used for complaints. If the ISP has a website, visit it for information on how to file a complaint.
• Contact your local police department and inform them of the situation in as much detail as possible. In appropriate cases, they may refer the matter to state or federal authorities. If you are afraid of taking action, there are resources available to help you, Contact either: -The National Domestice Violence Hotline, 800-799-SAFE (phone); 800-787-3224 (TDD) -A local women's shelter for advice and support.

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California Cyber Stalking and Harassment Laws

n California, the stalking laws are included under Section 646.9 of the Penal Code, which states that any person who willfully and maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and who makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear for his or her safety or that of an immediate family member is guilty of stalking. Stalking cases may include additional related charges such as: (1) Trespassing; (2) Vandalism; (3) Burglary; (4) Criminal Threats; and (5) Obscene, Threatening, or Annoying Phone Calls.

Please keep in mind that willfulness is a standard related to the culprit's state of mind. For example, when the person is acting purposefully, then he/she has the "conscious object" of engaging in conduct and believes or hopes that the attendant circumstances exist. If the person is acting knowingly, then he/she is practically certain that his conduct will lead to the result. If the person is acting recklessly, then he/she is aware that the attendant circumstances exist, but nevertheless engages in the conduct that a "law-abiding person" would have refrained from. If the person acts negligently, then he/she is unaware of the attendant circumstances and the consequences of his conduct, but a "reasonable person" would have been aware. Finally, if the person acts with strict liability, then mental state is irrelevant and he/she is strictly liable.

In the last few years and with the emerging of the world wide web, a new kind of stalking has developed which is also called "cyber stalking." This type of misconduct occurs when the violator utilizes the Internet, electronic mail (e-mail) or other communication devices to harass and stalk others. For example, it can occur by sending e-mails to the victim, impersonating another person in online chat rooms and e-mail messages, and disseminating lies in cyberspace. It is also important to note that the Internet is a cheap and efficient method for "cyber stalkers" to anonymously cause harm to their victims.

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Cyber stalking in Facebook!

                                         

Cyberstalkers target 3.4 million Americans each year. These are men, women and children of all ages and races -- who at first probably had no idea that their lives were being secretly watched and cataloged....

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