Chapter Three. Thinking Like the Enemy: Predatory Behavior


Who are these online predators, and what motivates them to do what they do? The reality might surprise you. An online predator is anyone who preys on others by using the Internet. Like predators in the animal world, they circle the Internet user base looking for easy targets. Easy targets are often the young or old, or those who show weakness.

Usually you encounter criminals only through the media or in courtrooms, but there are criminals and predators in every community and society, and they leverage whatever tools will help them succeed. Cybercriminals prey on the weak just like the garden-variety offline criminals; they're simply using new tools to find opportunities for exploitation.

Just as the Internet is the newest tool in the predator's arsenal, it is also the newest tool in your arsenal. But because you don't make a living using these tools to defend yourself, you are probably still somewhat unfamiliar with the potential risks and how to mitigate them. As a result, you could be more likely to leave openings for cybercriminalseven more so than with the offline predators you've learned to defend against.

In this chapter, I attempt to dispel some misconceptions about who the enemy is, and how he or she thinks, so you can better avoid and defeat predators.



Look Both Ways. Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
Look Both Ways: Help Protect Your Family on the Internet
ISBN: 0735623473
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 157
Authors: Linda Criddle

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