Recent extreme rash of doxxing has struck several of our associates. Mainly initiated by a mentally unstable activist the doxxing attack via cyber means , began for us. Many people who blindly take internet topics and opinions as gospel have fallen for the lies. Due to ignorance and being naive this individual preyed on their emotions. Utilizing religion and defining the terms of a " cult ". But what is not readily known to these ignorant folks is the ramifications of their traceable actions. I am speaking of the Law and the avenues that can be legally pursued by us as example to hold these people accountable especially the instigator himself / herself. We should make it known ignorance to the law is no excuse. The intent of doxxing is malicious and invasion of privacy. It is the harassment of the individual's personal information being exposed and to urge emotions of others to continue the doxxing operation or to physically approach the victim and cause bodily harm. Many of those who do dox realize it is not only the primary victim that becomes affected. The family of the victim , friends of the victim. Most of those who dox carelessly think nothing of these affects but there is a ripple effect from someone being doxxed. It creates a atmosphere to attempt public shaming and humiliation to seek revenge or to discredit the intended target.
At many times during the Trump campaign we witnessessed many of President Trump's supporters become maliciously doxxed and their worlds were turned upside down. Shamefully penalized for their political beliefs our founding fathers died for. We watched liberal left media utterly destroy personal lives and instigate many left wing extremist groups to do the same. ( Antifa factions ) We witnessessed many unlawful actions that stemmed from Portland , Oregon. This is where Antifa was allowed to wreak havoc publically with no penalty. The following is a quick definition of how doxxing relates to law.
This charge may be in place of, or concurrently with, the stalking charge. A criminal threat can be either a felony or a misdemeanor charge. As a misdemeanor charge, the sentence is up to one year in a county jail. As a felony charge, it's up to three years in a state prison.
This definition was pulled from a quick search that doesn't really go into deep detail and was likely not meant to. But it still shows us that doxxing falls within the realm of cyber stalking. And mostly can be traced and the origins are always discovered even via subpoena. Most social networking sites ( Facebook , Twitter etc.) are not wanting to be associated with those who dox and are quick to respond with assistance. We all should abide the first amendment but many nowadays abuse their right by way of concluding " They won't catch me ".
The best way to avoid " Doxxing " is to protect your information online. Removing personal public information online helps in a large way and avoids the hackers or whomever that seeks to dox you. You need to protect and be mindful of your electronic footprint. Check your privacy settings via " Facebook " and " Twitter ". Bar those on the outside to get in. You will never fully guard everything you submit online but most of those who dox are not that savvy to start with. Much like the individual that doxxed our firm. We are sure he is taking " Youtube " lessons daily. But to help with controlling your information check the public website your on. Realize that Professional websites like " Linkedin " , " Upwork " which displays your name publically for other businesses to view your professional account for jobs also leaves you vulnerable to doxxers. Even though you want recruiters to see you it leaves you in the open for the malicious intent. Other sites that leave you vulnerable is also online dating sites. Many do not realize this but is another vulnerability. And some of the free profile ones are really something to reconsider. The doxxers want to date also but when they find someone they disagreed with maybe politically they can wreak havoc in your love life. And this urges me to bring up also , CAREFUL AND IF YOU MEET PEOPLE ONLINE , MAKE IT IN A PUBLIC VENUE.
The best way to see what is out there is utilize the search engines. Google is the very best and most well known search engine out there. If you don't readily surface on their database you are likely relatively safe. Then switch to the Yahoo search engine. And then firefox. Firefox is usually a very secure platform more so geared towards privacy than Google. A lot of Federal Agencies are supported by Firefox due to its security.
Then another issue is your Smartphone. How do you connect to the internet via your phone. Check it. Make sure your privacy settings are how you want them. Make sure they don't automatically update and decrease your level of security. Iphones are more vulnerable than Androids but you can still secure your Iphone. Just never click on unknown links sent to you. A well known program that allows ease droppers into your Iphone is the operative program " Karma ". Produced by former NSA contractors for United Arab Emirates , they hacked into thousands of Iphones to surveil opposition to their government. But with this spy technology on the open market with a price , anyone with the right price will have it.
Last but not least PASSWORDS. Your password is literally the gateway to your digital world and nowadays it can include banking , medical records , personal email etc. No password should be short and nothing easy to remember. There are programs in the market that help you create strong passwords , but if your anything compared to our security , we have our own private way of securing data. Most passwords should consist of alphabetical , capitalized alphabetical , numerural , punctuation keys. Example: DH34@vb.
The mixture of the key symbols and off the wall combination makes them better. If you do not add the punctuation symbols or numbers this allows hacker algorithm's to easily hack your accounts. Never use your Date of Birth or Social Security number. Also do not use your street address or zip code or cellphone number. You would be very surprised what people use as passwords. And another major point I like to make. PLEASE don't store your passwords on your computer. This absolutely makes no sense to me. Many people do this and then wonder why they got easily hacked. Take a notebook and monetize it specifically for passwords and sign in's only. Lock it up. The old school way of writing it down and locking it up will never fail you. Unless you get broken in by some foreign spy and they force you to unlock the safe at gunpoint , you will be safe. If this scenario happens then your basically screwed anyhow.
WIFI , Modems. Each wifi modem has a unique key ( WEP ) that must be entered to allow access. This key is usually obnoxiously long and confusing. This is to your advantage. Once someone gains access they gain your network. Meaning any computers connected to the wifi , phones , kindles , tablets. You name it. So much like your normal password combination , your modem should have the same. And for ultra security most consumers should leave it obnoxiously long as the way it came from the provider. Many folks in our area leave the wifi open so others can get blind access. Either because they are ignorant or just don't care. But let them become aware how vulnerable they really are they will be fixing it mighty quick. You will need to access the password for your modem via your settings , internet and network.Or check the back of your modem physically. It should be on the factory sticker.
This is not a exhaustive submission of doxxing or cyber security but it is a basic start on how to fight back those who wish to do you public harm within the cyber realm. There are ways to help prevent such actions and with sufficient evidence like our associates have compiled you can hold their feet to the fire and hold them accountable by law. You will see them crawl back to the shadows whence they came. Most folks who engage in such malicious activities are bored or mentally unstable and should not be allowed near a computer console.
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