Cyber Safety for Survivors of Domestic Violence

Did you know October was both Domestic Violence Awareness Month AND Cybersecurity Awareness Month? Do you know where your devices are and if they are locked? Read on for some great tips as these two issues are more connected than some may think!

For survivors of domestic and sexual violence, the Internet can quickly become a scary place to interact. Concerns about privacy invasion, stalking, harassment, impersonation, non-consensual intimate image sharing, and other threats can leave people feeling like they have no choice but to avoid online entirely. It’s easy to feel vulnerable and exposed online, so we’ve put together some tips for those who might be looking to feel safer while still staying connected. As Domestic Violence Awareness Month and National Cybersecurity Awareness Month end, we thought it would be a good time to offer some thoughts and tips for survivors to think about.

Adjust Social Media Settings

While online sharing continues to rise in popularity, so do social media security risks. Staying on top of social media account settings can help reduce some of those risks to safety and privacy. By switching your accounts to private mode, you can help prevent other users from viewing your personal information and profile without your permission. Almost all social media platforms also allow you to block people as well; this can be especially helpful if there are people in your life that you don’t want to interact with on social media, or as a remedy to help stop harassment on that platform. A simple “block” can make a big difference. But before blocking someone, consider how this may impact your ability to know if their abusive behavior is escalating, and your ability to document their abusive behavior. Once you block someone, you won’t be able to see what messages and comments they are trying to send you.

If you’re especially concerned about online privacy, you may also want to consider refraining from posting in real-time, or posting anything that may give an indication of your location. For instance, if you’re at a restaurant, you may want to wait to post about it when you get home, or you may decide that posting about it would be putting more information out about your general location than you are comfortable with. These are simple ways to avoid any potential interactions with people who happen to see your social media and will try to show up where you are, or to prevent them from getting any idea about your location. You may also want to avoid tagging specific locations of restaurants, bars, houses, neighborhoods, etc. as these can leave a trail about your daily patterns for someone looking for clues of it on your social media profile.

Protect Your Devices While on The Go

It’s no lie – many of us don’t go anywhere without our phones, and sometimes even our laptops go everywhere we go. They’re in our bags, our pockets, and our hands. Sometimes we're using our own data plan, but other times we need to connect to public WiFi. When we do this, it’s important to understand how vulnerable our devices can be while connected to a public Internet connection. For example, while working in a cafe on your laptop, that free Wi-Fi you’re connected to is not as safe as you think. If you can afford investing in a virtual private network (VPN), it can help give you the security you need while on the go. A VPN creates a private network within a public Internet connection. VPN’s mask your IP address, which helps keep your web browsing hidden.

If a VPN isn’t an option you can currently invest in, making sure to only browse sites that use https: protocol can help increase your privacy. While someone may still be able to snoop and see you are on a specific site, they wouldn’t be able to see the details of what you are doing on that site, or what you are looking at on that site.

Arm Your Home Network

Many people might think to lock their doors and windows at home, but may not know how to keep their Internet connection secure. Secure internet connections start with the router. The router communicates between the Internet and all of the devices in your home to deliver a Wi-Fi connection.

When purchasing and setting up a Wi-Fi router there are several things to keep in mind. Do you have any fireplaces or thick walls that will block a signal or weaken signal strength? These structures can block or intercept your Internet connection. Also, make sure the router you’re going to buy is the right size for your home and the amount of devices that will be connecting to it. Security is another important topic to be mindful of as you choose a router. Routers that aren’t secure are vulnerable to being hacked, and once hacked, someone can potentially install viruses or malware onto any of your devices. Find a router that has network level protection, including automatic updates, signed firmware updates, and device quarantine. Last but not least, find a router that is easy to navigate and control. Look for other features that might be helpful to those who are using it in your home. This includes parental controls, guest networks, and network management. Don’t skimp on a router - it helps more than you think. For more on WiFi security, check out our resource WiFi Safety & Privacy: Tips for Victim Service Agencies & Survivors.

Enable Additional Authentication

When logging into online accounts, or even some phones and devices themselves, there’s often an option for an additional form of authentication. This is known as two-factor authentication, and it allows the user to add an extra layer of protection to their account or device by not only creating a complex and difficult password, but allowing a special code to be sent to their phone every time a login occurs. This means that if someone is trying to login to your account or device and it isn’t you, you’ll know about it and be able to stop them from going any further. This is especially important for email accounts where you might have more personal or financial information that you wouldn’t want others accessing. For more on password security and two factor authentication check out our resource Passwords: Simple Ways to Increase Your Security. 

Top 4 Tips for Cell Phone Safety

This post was originally written for Military OneSource, a website that provides resources and support for military personnel and their families. The original post can be found here.

According to one study, 89% of service members own a smart phone, and over half report regular social media activity. Our cell phones contain a lot of information about us, so keeping it secure and private from prying eyes is important. Privacy on a smartphone is especially relevant for anyone who may have a spouse or partner who is misusing technology to harass or control them. Here are 4 tips that technology safety experts recommend to keep your device safe and secure.

1.     Lock Down Your Phone

One of the most important things that everyone should do is to put a passcode on their phone. This prevents someone from going through it or installing unwanted apps or malicious software, such as spyware. Most phones allow users to lock their phone with a 4-6-digit code. Pick a code that someone close to you cannot guess and only you know.

Some phones have other passcode lock options, such as a pattern, thumbprint, or facial recognition. Be cautious about allowing others to put into your phone their own thumbprint or facial image. If someone else needed to get into your phone (and you trust them), you can always tell them your 4-6-digit code, and then change it afterwards.

2.     Review Your iCloud & Google Accounts

If you have a smartphone, you likely also have an iCloud (for iPhones) or a Google (for Android) account associated with your phone. These accounts often contain your phone’s back up, and depending on your settings, can also include sensitive information, such as photos, notes, contacts, calendars, and other personal information on your phone.

Unfortunately, these accounts can be accessed not just via the phone but from another phone or computer. This means that anyone who knows the username and password to your iCloud or Google account can log in and see some of the information that’s on your phone. Here are some tips on protecting all that personal data:

• Make sure that only you know the username and password.

• Ensure that the email address associated with the account is secure and no one else can access it.

• Check to see if other devices are connected to your iCloud or Google account and remove those devices if you don’t want it connected.

• Know what information (photos, contacts, notes, etc.) is backed up to your account. (You can choose what information to back up in the phone’s settings.)

3.     Know the Apps on Your Phone

Millions of apps are downloaded each day. Some of these apps use information from your phone to function (for example, Google Maps needs to know your location to provide directions), while other apps may share information on your phone in more malicious and even dangerous ways.

Here are some steps to increase the privacy and security of your phone.

• Review the privacy settings on your phone to know what information is being accessed by which apps.

• Delete apps that you’re not using, especially if they have a lot of permissions to access your data.

• Deny access request for apps that do not need it. For example, a gaming app that doesn’t involve location doesn’t need your location and shouldn’t require it. 

• Be cautious and avoid malware and other malicious apps by doing the following:

  • When your phone prompts you for a software update, say yes. These often include security updates to your phone’s operating system.

  • Don’t download apps outside of the official app stores. On Android phones, you can prevent this from accidentally happening by turning off “allow unknown sources” in the security settings. If you have an iPhone, don’t jailbreak the phone so that you can download apps not in the App Store.

  • If you download apps from the Google Play store, turn on Google Play Protect to scan for malicious software before they’re downloaded. 

  • Download anti-spyware and anti-malware tools. 

4.     Choose When to Connect to Wi-Fi & Bluetooth

While most smartphones now ask you to confirm if you want to connect with a Wi-Fi network or a Bluetooth-enabled device the first time, in most cases, if you’ve connected once, it’ll automatically connect again when you’re within range. Unless it’s a secure Wi-Fi network or it’s a Bluetooth device you trust (for example, you own the other Bluetooth device), consider “forgetting” the network or Bluetooth device after you’re done connecting. You can find this option under settings. Choose when to connect your smartphone, but more importantly, choose when NOT to connect.

Help and Resources

If you are concerned about your cell phone privacy and suspect your spouse or partner may have accessed or tampered with your device, help is available. Whether you are looking for help in talking to your partner about “hitting reset” on the use of technology in your relationship to establish healthy boundaries—or want to report domestic abuse or intimate partner violence facilitated through technology—the military community has your back.

You can:

• Contact your local Family Advocacy Program (Department of Defense program), and an advocate can work with you to develop healthy boundaries in your relationship, create a technology safety plan or help you document abuse involving your smartphone and other devices.

• Understand military reporting options. Know how to report domestic abuse in the military and what happens when you do. To learn more about military reporting options, including how to manage your safety, contact a Family Advocacy Program victim advocate.

• Get help from the civilian community. If you are concerned about your safety and need immediate support, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233.

• Learn more about technology privacy and security. Information for this article was provided by the Safety Net Project of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. To learn more about cell phone safety and location strategies, see this guide.

New Resource - Judicial Toolkit: Resources on Technology Abuse

We are pleased to announce a brand-new toolkit on technology abuse for judges and judicial officers. As technology becomes more pervasive and is misused to stalk, harass, and abuse, it is more important than ever that judges and judicial officers understand how technology is misused in the context of these cases. Within this toolkit are guides, quizzes, and resources, written specifically for judges and judicial officers on navigating digital evidence and understanding technology misuse in the context of domestic violence.

This toolkit also contains resources on how judges can use technology to enhance efficiency in and improve access to the courts, increase accessibility for self-represented litigants, and examine the changing legal landscape as it relates to the rise of cyberviolence cases.

You can access the Judicial toolkit here.

Don’t forget to check out our other toolkit, specifically the Legal Systems toolkit, written for criminal justice professionals, and the Technology Safety and Privacy toolkit for survivors.

© 2019 National Network to End Domestic Violence, Safety Net Project. This toolkit is funded through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Neither the U.S. Department of Justice nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse, this web site and toolkit (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided).