this must be an aged-old topic....but then cannot tahan why they
always perceived most victims are charbos. how about inno guys like
us? 
so pure, so inno, so heartwarming and so endearing
..why always portray us as wolves 
....*quickly wipe salivas*
Get smart on the Internet <!-- TITLE :
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PHISHING, trolling and web bugs may sound like fishing trip
experiences but, if you come across them, they signal trouble -
online, that is.
The Internet has definitely changed the way we do things; it has
improved our lives. However, nothing is without its pitfalls, and
cyberspace is no exception.
Phishing refers to Internet scams whereby e-mails are sent
purportedly from banks or other companies, asking users for
sensitive personal information, which are then used in identity
thefts.
Trolling is when someone uses specific phrases in a chat group
to "bait" and target people who respond in a certain way.
Web bugs are tiny image files that contain programmes that
install themselves undetected on your computer and transfer
information back to the source.
Other dangers include cyber-stalking, extortion and
harassment.
It appears that women tend to face more of such threats. This
was disclosed during a recent Safety Bytes Coffee Session hosted by
software solution provider Symantec Malaysia.
Women go online to engage in a host of activities - obtain
information, do research, chat, blog, e-mail or shop. They are also
more likely than men to start and maintain personal blogs as forums
of self-expression or to highlight specific causes.
Social networking and online dating are also popular with women,
activities which also easily expose them to sexual harassment and
other forms of threat.
According to the US Department of Justice, one in 12 women will
be victims of cyber stalking in their lifetime.
A 2006 University of Maryland study on chat rooms found that
female participants received 25 times as many sexually explicit and
malicious messages as males.
In March 2007, software and game developer Kathy Sierra received
derogatory remarks and death threats on her technology blog,
Creating Passionate Users, which she co-authors.
The final straw came when a photo-shopped image of Sierra next
to a noose was published on another website. She suspended her blog
after that.
Sierra told BBC that she believed the campaign against her was
more likely because she was a woman in the male-dominated
technology world.
Many women use pseudonyms in their blogs as a way of protecting
themselves. However, as long as a name is female-sounding, women
bloggers are still easy targets.
With photo-sharing and picture uploads being another popular
online practice these days, women are also open to sexist remarks
or other forms of abuse or misrepresentation.
In Malaysia last month, it was reported that a woman who had
posted her photograph in Friendster two years ago found that
another woman used that picture to introduce herself to a man
online and later extort him.
Effendy Ibrahim, Norton Business Lead, Asia South Region from
Symantec, said the Internet seems to be more popular with women
worldwide.
"The Internet provides an avenue to exchange concerns, opinions
and perceptions using new technology. Also, women have longer
attention spans," said Effendy, who moderated the Safety Bytes
session.
Guest speaker at the session, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir,
admitted to being one of those "mad Internet users" who is
constantly on e-mail, Skype or Facebook.
Marina also maintains a blog (rantingsbymm.blogspot.com),
performs online banking and chats or e-mails using her
Blackberry.
"I guess I'm very much into the online world, which really suits
me and what I do very well," said Marina, who has been blogging for
16 months.
However, being a public figure by virtue of what she does and
who she is, she shared that she tends to receive unpleasant
messages online.
"People have sent nasty comments directed at me as an indirect
target. (In the past) I also became collateral damage depending on
the political climate out there," said Marina.
Once, she had a cyber stalker who sent her weird, nonsensical
e-mail.
"I chose not to respond to the e-mail messages," she said,
adding that responding was a form of engaging the sender.
"My e-mail does not have my name so they cannot really confirm
that it is me," she said.
Later, the stalker also got hold of her office telephone and fax
number.
"Fortunately, I didn't pick up the calls directly. However, I
never really felt threatened because I knew he was harmless," she
said.
Marina is also on Facebook, one of the latest social networking
sites.
"Facebook is a really interesting phenomenon. Among other
things, it creates communities around particular causes," she
said.
However, to protect herself from being a target of hate mail or
other threats, she sets her Facebook account on very high privacy
levels. Marina added that her daughter also has a blog; to protect
her privacy, people can only view it by invitation only.
"Sometimes, users post up profiles, which may contain very
private information, without realising that it goes out to all
their friends," said Marina, who has about 200 friends in
Facebook.
Effendy said, "Privacy settings are probably the last thing that
people think of on Facebook."
He also cautioned people against carrying out online
transactions in Wifi settings as users would be susceptible to info
theft.
"And if you have very important and private data, save them on
external hard discs or CDs, not on your PC's main (C) drive."
Online safeguards
ACCORDING to the Malaysian Household Use of The Internet Survey
2006 conducted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
Commission (MCMC), women comprise 47% of home Internet users.
The survey found that as of September 2006, there were 13.5mil
Internet users in the country. The top five activities on the
Internet were getting information (84.5%), communication by text
(e-mail, chat room, instant messaging: 80.7%), leisure in the form
of music, video or games (52.6%), formal or informal education
(45.9%), and financial activities such as e-banking (23.6%).
From the study, it was found that 86.6% expressed varying
degrees of concern about online security, including concerns like
identity thefts, spam, viruses, worms and trojans.
Here are some safety tips:
1. Set security features on your browser.
2. Protect your password.
3. Secure your wireless network.
4. Protect your own data.
5. Watch out for social engineering (non-technical methods of
getting personal information from someone).
6. Update your tech knowledge.
7. Use common sense in safe Internet practices at all times.
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