How to avoid stalking on the Internet?

Internet stalking constitutes a form of online cyberharassment that can have serious consequences for victims. Discover the tools and best practices to minimize risks.

With the advent of social networks, online forums and other sharing platforms, it is easier than ever for malicious people to follow the online activities of Internet users. This is one of the reasons why there are more and more victims of “Internet stalking”. Although this aggravated form of online harassment originally primarily affected celebrities, it now affects everyone. However, it is possible to drastically limit risks by using the right security tools and adopting good digital hygiene practices. Follow the leader…

What is Internet stalking?

Internet stalking can take different forms such as constant and obsessive monitoring of your online activities, repeated sending of unwanted or threatening messages, dissemination of false information about you, repeated contact with your loved ones, etc. “Stalkers” can use all means of communication at their disposal such as social networks, messaging, SMS, or even telephone calls. This practice of stalking, harassing, intimidating and threatening an individual can have particularly serious consequences for victims.

How to protect yourself from stalking?

There are different rules of conduct and measures to take to be able to effectively protect yourself against cyberharassment. In addition to good security tools to secure all your devices and those of your loved ones, it is crucial to generally limit the personal information you share online. Although this can be restrictive, you also need to be careful with the permissions you grant to the services, software and other mobile applications that you use on a daily basis. Finally, pay attention to the signs that may indicate that you are the victim of stalking so that you can quickly take the necessary measures.

You can ask those responsible for a forum, a video or photo host, or even a social network to have content concerning you removed, but this process often remains very complicated, or even useless. The withdrawal conditions depend not on French laws, but on the regulations of each of these services which are often located abroad. Please note that stalking is considered a crime that can be severely punished by law in France. If you are a victim of cyberbullying online, it is important to contact the appropriate authorities.

Limit the distribution of personal information online and on social networks (photos, personal documents, etc.)

We cannot repeat it enough, but it is very important to limit as much as possible the sensitive personal information that you publish on the Internet and in particular on social networks. Cyberstalkers collect and cross-reference any personal data they can find online to intimidate and threaten their victims. You should therefore think twice before publishing your email or postal address, your telephone number, your family situation, your profession, and all the personal details likely to make you more easily traceable.

Likewise, you need to be careful with the photos and videos you post, whether of yourself, your children, your home or the places you frequent, for example. To limit the risks, it is advisable to remove metadata from photos and videos that can geolocate you in “real life”.

Control your online interactions

Social networks are the favorite territory of stalkers. They can use fake profiles to try to infiltrate your circle of friends or colleagues and thus access as much of your personal information as possible. Although it’s not always obvious, you should be wary of friend or follow requests from people you don’t know or who seem suspicious. Before accepting a request, check the profile and see, for example, if you have any friends in common.

Some stalkers sometimes use extreme means to be able to spy on a person. For example, they can send malicious links or attachments to install spyware on a computer or mobile device. With this in mind, never click on a link or attachment from an unknown or suspicious source.

Manage privacy settings

Most web services and social networks offer privacy settings to control access to your profile. It’s important to adjust these options to manage who can access your posts, photos, personal information, reviews, etc. Although they are not as comprehensive depending on the service, take the time to make sure you are only sharing your data with trusted people you know. Note that services like Facebook, X and many others have the annoying habit of changing the rules of their confidentiality settings very often. It is recommended to check and update them regularly.

Use the right security tools

In addition to constant vigilance and the implementation of good digital security practices, certain tools make it possible to limit your digital footprint and considerably minimize the risks of cyberharassment. Security vendors like Norton have understood this and now offer all-in-one protection solutions including tools such as anti-phishing, identity protection assistance, a social media monitoring service and from the dark web, a VPN, an access controller to the webcam and microphone, a cloud backup module, or even an essential password manager. The combined use of these tools improves your online security and seriously complicates the task of stalkers.

Norton 360 Advanced: a complete arsenal to help you better protect against cyber threats

The Norton 360 Advanced security suite has many benefits to protect against stalking. In addition to anti-spyware and anti-phishing modules which help prevent you from being trapped by fraudulent messages/SMS or spyware, the service includes latest generation tools such as Social Media Monitoring. This module is responsible for protecting your social networks (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.) by detecting takeover attempts and suspicious activities such as cyberharassment.

Norton 360 Advanced also includes identity protection to monitor whether your personal information (email addresses, phone numbers, online game identifiers, etc.) is compromised on the Internet or the Dark Web. If detected, the service alerts you so that you can take the necessary measures, close corrupted accounts or change corrupted passwords to limit the risks. To go even further, Norton has developed a tool called Norton AntiTrack to fight against trackers. Sold separately, this service allows you to strengthen your online privacy and know precisely who is following you on the Internet.

*No one can eradicate all acts of cybercrime or identity theft.