Cybersafety strategies to stay secure online

Digital landscapes are ever-evolving and increasingly prominent in our daily lives. And with all of the enhancements afforded by being online, digital harassment tactics are also growing in both risk and sophistication.

Online harassment – also known as digital threats – can take many forms, from sending malicious Direct Messages (DMs) meant to intimidate to posting hateful media about a specific target. 

Digital threats can negatively impact one's well-being, creating anxiety that persists beyond device shutdown. Of greatest concern is the potential for online aggressors to escalate to a real-life, physical confrontation. 

As part of our commitment to ensuring positive experiences digitally and online, Enterprise Technology encourages our communities to update their understanding of digital threats and harassment in online spaces.

1. How do you identify if you are experiencing online harassment?

Recipients of digital threats may downplay their experiences, dismissing online harassment as not being as serious as offline harassment. However, digital threats have real-life impacts on mental health and, in severe cases, physical safety. 

To identify whether or not your experiences fall under the umbrella of “digital threats,” consider the following:

• Do you feel upset, frightened, or sad after receiving comments or contact resulting from your online presence?
• Are you experiencing negative changes in your mood or disinterest in your hobbies due to ongoing feelings of stress related to your online experiences?
• Do you feel dread or anxiety when operating digital devices or receiving online correspondences, calls, or text messages?

If you have answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you may be experiencing the effects of online harassment.

Rosie McSweeney, Community Resources Navigator for the ASU Office of Human Resources, emphasizes the need for swift action against digital threats, as cybersecurity is physical security:

“It’s important to look at online harassment holistically. Taking action and seeking support is critical. This allows a thorough analysis of what steps can be taken to increase your psychological and physical safety.”

As you contemplate your next steps, please use the following checklist to ensure your immediate safety:

• Scan your environment - secure your physical safety first and foremost. If your physical safety is at risk or a possible crime has been committed, please call 911.
• Do not engage with, respond to, or delete the digital threat. Document instances of online harassment that can be used as evidence of ongoing threatening behavior.

• For students impacted, please report this incident to the Dean of Students by emailing deanofstudents@asu.edu, calling 480-965-6547, or opening a student care form. 
• For faculty or staff who are impacted by digital threats, contact your supervisor and email BRTeam@asu.edu or call 480-884-2727.
• For psychological support, students should contact ASU Counseling.  Employees should contact the Employee Assistance Office. 

Once you have reviewed the steps above, you can implement the following safety measures to curb ongoing harassment and protect against future threats.

 2. Keep it to your inner circle by maximizing privacy settings

The easiest way to avoid unwanted interactions is to ensure your privacy settings are maximized across each online account. Through your settings, verify that only the basics of your account are visible to the general public, such as your username and profile picture. 

To take things a step further, you can also restrict your account from being discoverable by username, phone number, or email address. This means the only ones who can find and interact with you online are those with whom you share your credentials directly.

Finally, you can limit who has the ability to DM you, comment on and share your posts, tag you in photos, or mention (@) you in other posts by manually adjusting each feature through your settings.

By imposing strict privacy settings on your accounts, you not only limit negative interactions but make it harder for bad actors to find you in the first place.

That said, some individuals are unable to maximize their privacy settings due to the nature of their work. As Rebecca Blatt, Sr. Associate Dean of the Cronkite School of Journalism, notes: 

“For journalism jobs, the things we do to build trust in our communities – like being transparent and accessible – also put us at risk. We cannot place our privacy settings at a maximum level because our jobs require engaging with public audiences.” 

In scenarios where complete online privacy isn't possible, be sure to at least obscure the finer details of your physical location and daily schedule. Do not post your home address or businesses you frequent. If possible, do not denote the exact office or building you work from. Refrain from making your real-time location known, especially if this is part of a predictable routine that an online harasser can use to locate and confront you in real life.

Regularly monitor your online presence to stay informed about the current threat landscape, and protect your privacy wherever possible.

3. Document, block and report

The emotional impact of digital harassment is profound: “These bizarre emails – they say, I’m coming to get you, I’m going to find you – you’re just paralyzed by shock,” says Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, Associate Professor at the ASU School of Social Work. 

However, resist the impulse to retaliate against aggressors who often seek attention through harassment. 

“Remember that your safety is the priority of the university,” says Roe-Sepowitz. “Do not delete the proof of the harassment you are receiving. Take a deep breath, do not respond, and save the evidence.”

By documenting online abuse, you create a digital record to provide moderators, administrators, or even law enforcement. Post-documentation, block bad actors to cut off their ability to view or interact with your account. 

Finally, some harassers will create multiple new accounts – sometimes using artificial intelligence “troll bots” to automate creating and sending offensive messages. Although platforms like Instagram provide the convenient option to auto-block any additional accounts an aggressor creates, dealing with a flood of new accounts and messages through repeated blocking and reporting can be cumbersome and ineffective.

In this scenario, consider starting from scratch: remove all followers, lock down your accounts with the strongest privacy settings, and manually approve new followers from then on – preferably only those you know in real life.

Reporting is not only a quick path to assistance but also crucial when dealing with ”deepfakes”: convincing, falsified imagery or recordings of you made by generative artificial intelligence. Due to the increased potential for reputational damage, it is vital to document and report deepfakes as soon as possible for swift removal. 

4. Contact the authorities if the harassment escalates, is relentless, or involves direct threats

There are instances where reporting to the police is just as necessary as reporting to moderators. If the online harassment you’re receiving involves:

• Threats to your physical safety or the safety of those around you;
• Stalking behaviors, where the harassment is relentless and may also feature intimate details of your location and routines;
• Blackmail or extortion;
• Doxxing (the act of uncovering and posting identifying information about you, such as your address).

Contact your local police department immediately to establish a paper trail and receive support.

Additional resources

Online harassment may have evolved, but by continually expanding our cybersecurity knowledge, we can keep pace with technological advancements and stop bad actors in their tracks. Other resources for combating digital threats include:

• For the ASU community, you can visit the Threat Assessment and Management Team or the Behavior Response Team.  Additionally, employees can call the Behavioral Health Hotline at 602-222-9444, or students can call EMPACT at 480-921-1006. These services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls are confidential and should be made if you or someone you know needs help.
• The International Women's Media Foundation's Mental Health Guide for Journalists Facing Online Violence and accompanying guide for Protecting Newsrooms and Journalists Against Online Violence
• OnTheLine Newsroom's Protocol for Newsrooms to Support Journalists Targeted with Online Harassment
• Anu Kantola and Anu Harju's Tackling the Emotional Toll Together: How Journalists Address Harassment with Connective Practices
• Resources for personal use can also be found on the Coalition Against Online Violence's resources page, which offers a diversity of digital security guides, articles and more.

To learn more about digital threats and how to cultivate a secure online presence, visit ASU GetProtected.