Net Crimes and Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering Web Spammers, Stalkers and Con Artists

Citation

Meaden, K. (2007), "Net Crimes and Misdemeanors: Outmaneuvering Web Spammers, Stalkers and Con Artists", New Library World, Vol. 108 No. 1/2, pp. 89-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800710722216

The internet is an increasingly popular phenomenon. Most libraries and information centres would be lost without access to it. We use it as a means of communicating with our customers, both via e‐mail and through our web sites, and also as an information‐seeking tool. Our professional lives aside, there is also a continual growth in the number of people hooking up to the web from their homes to use it for recreational use – booking holidays, chatting, dating, and shopping online to name but a few activities.

The majority of people stay safe online, and can make the most of the benefits that the internet has to offer, but it is likely that, for all but the few, this is more by luck than any kind of judgement. I consider myself to be an experienced internet user, aware of many of the scams and security issues that I need to guard against when I'm online. But so did J.A. Hitchcock, the author of this book, and how wrong she turned out to be. Her damaging cyberstalking nightmare, which began in 1996, took years to conclude, attacking her reputation and eventually forcing her to change both her telephone number and her address. Realising that, at that time, there was no legislation that could protect her, she fought back and is now a renowned cybercrime expert, who works with both victims and law enforcers to crack down on crime when it happens and raises awareness of how we can try to prevent it happening in the first place.

This book is essential reading for anyone who uses the internet. It provides excellent tips and advice covering the whole crime cycle – how to protect yourself against it, how to recognise it and, if you should find yourself a victim, how to defend yourself and where to get support and advice to put a stop to it. And there are so many ways that cybercrime can affect you – e‐mail bombs, spam, urban legends and hoaxes, scams, auctions, chat, online dating, identity theft … the list goes on. Hitchcock examines each of these issues in turn, using real‐life case studies from victims to hammer the message home and make the danger more credible. As she says herself, they prove that “even smart folks can have bad experiences”. She offers sound advice on how to protect your computer and encrypt information and explains how the police and universities in the US are tackling cybercrime and defending its victims (it's a shame that the text is so US centric because it loses its relevance to those of us in the UK in these chapters). There is also a useful section on how to keep children safe from online predators and cyberbullies.

One of the most remarkable things about this book is that it is universally relevant. It is written in a simple, accessible style that means everyone can gain something from it, whether they are a novice (in which case the glossary at the back will help) or an expert in this area. The other remarkable thing is that, once you've read it, you won't be put off from using the internet again! Scary content is framed very reassuringly, and the message shines through that the internet can still be incredibly beneficial to us all, we just have to be vigilant. I didn't realise how much I needed this book until I read it but now I certainly feel more confident that I can stay safe online, and if I don't, I know where I can turn to for support.