Cyberstalking - Most Affected Countries US, Brazil, Russia.

Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, group, or organization. It may include false accusations, defamation, slander and libel. It may also include monitoring, identity theft, threats, vandalism, solicitation for sex, doxing, or blackmail.

According to Kasperskys global survey, 64% of respondents say they would stalk their partner if they believed they were unfaithful, 63% would do it for their safety, and 50% would if their partner was involved in criminal activities. Read The State of Stalkerware in 2021.

In the US following the Roe v Wade ruling, nefarious individuals and organizations are looking to capture personal details on individuals and their whereabouts.

"Stalking is considered a crime across the country, but the laws vary by state in the United States. Cyberstalking laws in the U.S. treat this offense as a crime. In Texas, the Communications Act passed in 2001 treats acts regarded as cyberstalking as mental assault."

US citizens should read: Guide to Stalking and Cyberstalking Laws in the United States.

Brazilian citizens should read: Cyberstalking agora é crime no Brasil - Direito e tecnologia. and Entra em vigor lei que criminaliza perseguição, inclusive na internet.

Stalkerware:

Stalkerware is publicly available and free to use. In 2018, Kaspersky identified 26,619 unique samples of stalkerware programs. Just image how many there are now.

Examples: Upon setup there is no app icon, so the targeted person does not see any sign of the stalkerware app installed on their Android phone.

• Track Employees Check Work Phone Online Spy Free
• Spy Kids Tracker
• Phone Cell Tracker
• Mobile Tracking
• Spy Tracker
• SMS Tracker
• Employee Work Spy
• Family Employee Monitor
• TheTruthSpy is one of the most popular stalkerware apps.
• Cerberus
• Reptilicus

These mentioned apps have been removed from Google Play Store, but are still available as .apk files.

Many of those who engage in cyberstalking are technologically savvy, as well as creative and come up with a multitude of ways to torment and harass their targets.

Examples of what they might do:

• Post rude, offensive, or suggestive comments online
• Follow the target online by joining the same groups and forums
• Send threatening, controlling, or lewd messages or emails to the target
• Use technology to threaten or blackmail the target
• Tag the target in posts excessively, even if they have nothing to do with them
• Comment on or like everything the target posts online
• Create fake accounts to follow the target on social media
• Message the target repeatedly
• Hack into or hijack the target's online accounts
• Attempt to extort sex or explicit photos
• Send unwanted gifts or items to the target
• Release confidential information online
• Post or distribute real or fake photos of the target
• Bombard the target with sexually explicit photos of themselves
• Create fake posts designed to shame the victim
• Track the target's online movements by installing tracking devices
• Hack into the target's camera on their laptop or smartphone as a way to secretly record them
• Continue the harassing behavior even after being asked to stop
• Publishing nude photos if they have access to them to boards like this one: https://archiveofsins.com/hc/

So how do you protect yourself:

For Windows, Android and iOS users there are Malwarebytes Anti-Malware "Download and install it", I strongly recommend it.

• Create strong passwords. Make sure you have strong passwords for all your online accounts as well as strong passwords for your devices.Choose passwords that would be difficult to guess but are easy for you to remember.
   
• On social media be sure to log out every time and never ever save passwords in the browser and always clear the cache. It may seem like a pain, but make sure you log out of email, social media accounts, and other online accounts after using them. This way, if someone were able to get into your device they would not have easy access to your accounts.
   
• Keep track of your devices. Don't leave your phone sitting on your desk at work or at home ( Do not give others your pin code to access your phone ), not even to your husband or wife and never walk away from an open laptop. It only takes a minute or two for someone to install a tracking device or hack your device.
   
• Never use public wifi without a secure VPN non-free and no-log. It is a fact that if you use public wifi at hotels or at the local coffee shop, you are putting yourself at risk for hacking, being unprotected on the same network.
   
• Practice online safety habits. In other words, make it a priority to only accept friend requests from people you know and keep your posts private.
   
• Use separate email-accounts and not your name, use an alias. Never download your emails on your computer unless you use fulldisk-encryption and Linux.
   
• Always use a Password Manager, to handle all your passwords for different sites and use a strong difficult Master Password.

If you are being stalked online via social media etc, you should get a lawyer that specializes in these type of cases or hire a Blackhat hacker to help you.

There has been cases that ended in the death of both men and woman.

A famous example is TikTok user Ali Abulaban aka JinnKid:

Ali installed a listening device on his 5-year-old daughter's iPad, allowing him to hear the events taking place in her home with his estranged wife, Ana.

After overhearing a conversation with Ana and another man, he drove to their home and shot them both, before collecting his daughter from school.

More on this case here.

How to find out if you are being stalked:

Kaspersky has developed TinyCheck, a free, open-source tool which aims to facilitate the detection of stalkerware in a simple, quick, and non-invasive way on a victim’s device. It can run on any OS without making the perpetrator aware. Use this if you suspect your spouse is cyberstalking you.

In some serious cases like offline stalking, you might want to pay someone to act as a bodyguard.