Digital Safety for Women
Navigating the digital landscape has never been more crucial, and women, with their unique perspectives and experiences, have an essential role to play in shaping the cybersecurity frontier. Here we provide actionable insights, expert guidance, and a community that prioritizes women's specific cybersecurity concerns and challenges. Whether you're taking your first steps into the digital realm or seeking advanced strategies to fortify your online presence, our platform ensures you're equipped, empowered, and connected. Join us in championing a more inclusive and secure digital future.
Please note: The cyber safety advice provided on this website is intended to be informative and helpful, but it is not a substitute for professional advice or guidance. We make every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information, but we cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the content. The advice given on this website is provided to the best of our abilities, and we are not liable for any damages or losses that may result from its use. It is always recommended to consult with a qualified expert in the field for personalized advice and guidance on cyber safety.
6 Types of Online Harassment
Unfortunately, women are often targeted for online harassment. Women are more likely than men to report having been sexually harassed online (16% vs. 5%) or stalked (13% vs. 9%) (forbes). The following are types of online harassment often experienced by women.
Unwanted Messages
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Description: Persistent receipt of unsolicited messages that might be provocative, offensive, or inappropriate.
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Prevention: Adjust messaging settings to only allow messages from friends or connections. Regularly review and clean up your connections list and block any user sending inappropriate content.
Threats
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Description: Receiving direct threats related to physical harm, blackmail, or other malevolent intentions.
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Prevention: Never engage with threateners directly. Document all threats, maintain backups, and consider reporting threats to local law enforcement. Adjust privacy settings to limit profile visibility.
Doxing
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Description: The act of revealing one's private information without consent, like an address, phone number, or workplace.
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Prevention: Limit the personal information you share online. Regularly Google yourself to see what information about you is accessible. Use pseudonyms or aliases where full names aren't required.
Cyberstalking
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Description: Consistent and malicious attempts to monitor or engage with someone's online activity.
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Prevention: Limit the visibility of your online activities and posts. Block users who exhibit stalking behavior. Consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask your online actions.
Trolling
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Description: Individuals or groups deliberately trying to provoke, mock, or upset you online.
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Prevention: Do not engage with trolls as it often exacerbates the situation. Utilize platform-specific tools to mute, block, or report them.
Revenge P*rn or Digital Extortion
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Description: Unauthorized distribution or threats of sharing intimate photos or videos.
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Prevention: Be extremely cautious when sharing intimate images or videos, even with trusted individuals. If possible, avoid sharing such content altogether. If victimized, reach out to platforms immediately to remove content and consider seeking legal recourse.
3 Digital Safety Tips for Women
Information Discretion
Oversharing online can sometimes lead to unforeseen challenges, such as stalking or unwanted attention. Exercise caution about the personal or location data you release on social media or other otherwise online. Tailoring your privacy settings on each platform can significantly reduce these risks.
Online Dating Protocols
When using dating apps, limit the amount of personal information shared. Always arrange first meetings in public places and inform a trusted friend or family member about your whereabouts.
Geo-tagging Discretion
hotos uploaded on social platforms can contain location data. Ensure your settings don't automatically disclose your location, especially in places you frequently visit.
3 Privacy Tips for Women's Health Information
It's important to keep your health information private. Here are some privacy tips to help.
Use Signal with Disappearing Messages
Signal (signal.org) is rated the top messaging, calling, and video chatting app for privacy. It's best to communicate in-person, but if you need to send or receive messages about your health, use Signal instead of other messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Additionally, turn on disappearing messages. To turn this on, go to Settings > Privacy and under Disappearing Messages select a short amount of time. Then any messages sent and received in new conversations started by you will disappear.
Use a VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, protects your online privacy, secures your internet activities, and hides your identity. It's good to use a VPN on your computer and phone in general, but especially if you're looking up information regarding your health. There are many paid and free VPNs with a range of features. One VPN with a free tier is ProtonVPN (protonvpn.com) as a Swiss VPN provider, they do not log user activity or share data with third parties. Here is a list of other top VPNs.
Use DuckDuckGo Browser and Search Engine
Use DuckDuckGo (duckduckgo.com), which is free to use and protects your privacy. It has a browser and search engine. Use both while searching for information regarding your health. Additionally, clear your browser history after looking up information.