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Where The Web Has No Name
Have you ever lent someone your computer to go online? What about shared your computer with family members or perhaps used an Internet cafe?
We all have, and whenever we do, the issue of privacy comes into play.
How much of your Internet browsing can be tracked?
The spirit of trash
First published December 11, 2008
Soda cans flattened by passing cars. Screws, bolts, nuts, strewn across the street. Candy wrappers of every color in the grass, in the dirt, gathered by the wind on the side of the road. Beer bottles - Heineken, Kalik, Guiness - waiting for someone to gather and sell. Kentucky Fried Chicken boxes with oily, ketchup-stained wax paper and dried bones rattling about inside. A potcake's feast. Vacant lots filled with old microwaves, mattresses, wheelchairs, toilet seats, plastic cups and containers, washing machines, fridges, ovens, paint cans, motor oil bottles, socks, shoes, broken toys, bicycle wheels, car tires and rims, ironing boards, dried-up Christmas trees, and mop sticks. Garbage cans overturned, or made right again with no effort to put the spilt refuse back in the garbage cans. Garbage cans that can't actually contain the amount of trash folks are trying to force inside so it's puking it up like a person who ate way too much.
And then the pièce de résistance: abandoned cars in various states of decay. Some have no tires so they're up on blocks. Some have doors missing. Some have no glass left; they've either been taken or broken. Some have been stripped so far that the only things left are what people can't use. Some have been marked on with what passes, in this country, for graffiti. Some have become part of the bush: plants entangling the bumpers, flowers and prickles sprouting through the rusted holes here and there, leaves shooting from the missing headlights.
Maybe you think I've described a local ghetto, some shantytown behind God's back. What I'm in fact describing is my own neighborhood. Maybe I'm describing yours too. Then again, maybe I do actually live in a ghetto. Maybe the whole blinkin' island of New Providence (with the exception of a few well to do neighborhoods and gated communities) has become one depressing 21x7 ghetto, right before our eyes. Maybe the filthiness crept up on us gradually, the dinginess increased by small degrees, and now, even now, we don't actually see it. We clean our cars, we buy our nice clothes, our expensive shoes and purses, we put on our Oakleys and Raybans, and we don't even realize that our neighborhoods look like caca.
Putting the obvious health risks of filth aside for a moment, what are our surroundings doing to us as a people spiritually, psychologically, and socially? What would it do to you, to me, to all of us, if we were to take it all in, you know, really stare at our public nastiness for a bit? How would it work out in the end if we turned off the music, stopped the conversation, rolled down our tinted windows, pulled off the shades and drove or worse yet walked really slowly so we could see it all, really see it all here in the nation's capital? Well, since I've done it already, I can tell you that the gut instinct is to turn the music up louder, darken the tints even more and never ever look out the window again! You think about moving, leaving town, going back to the island or migrating to the suburbs of WalMartland. You just want to run! No matter how you choose to look at it (if you choose to look at it) the dirtiness, the dinginess of our streets, buildings and neighborhoods is a major downer. Last March, after living in Canada for seven straight months I came home and really saw my hometown, really saw it, as I hadn't seen it in years. I had to fight off despair.
"Stressful Neighborhoods and Depression: A Prospective Study of the Impact of Neighborhood Disorder" is the name of a 2003 study in the Journal of Health and Social Behaviour that examined the correlation between stressful neighborhoods and depression. Researchers did a long-term study that tracked a group of several hundred persons living in what were perceived as disadvantaged neighborhoods. The data compiled for the piece, suggests that "Social disorganization may be deleterious to both physical and mental health...[and] perceptions of neighborhood characteristics (vandalism, litter or trash, vacant housing, teenagers hanging out, burglary, drug selling, and robbery) predicted depressive symptoms at a nine-month follow-up interview." Every single one of those stress producing characteristics exist in my neighborhood, an area no one would categorize as "disadvantaged". The only one that doesn't trouble me personally as I move through this area is teenagers "hanging out" -- but then again, I don't know this new crop of young males in my neighborhood so let me think about that some more and get back to you.
In the meantime, I have some questions. What is the impact collectively on the spirit, the psyche and the self-esteem of a people, of living in a nasty environment, a noisy environment, a congested environment, a place where there's not enough green (literally and figuratively), not enough water, not enough shade, not enough quiet, not enough clean air, not enough healthy food, not enough order, not enough effort to fix blatant problems? When landlords and homeowners can't or won't paint their buildings and keep them clean, when you and your neighbors dump trash in the vacant lot across the street, when idle boys paint lurid messages on the walls of abandoned buildings, when you or your neighbors refuse to move cars that will never ever, ever run again and let them decay in front of the yard, when the neighborhood mechanic piles up decrepit vehicles in his yard and the adjacent vacant lot because he might need a part someday or the owner refuses to 'come back fa he tings', what does it do to you emotionally, spiritually? When I don't ask you to move that broke down car, you pretend it's a tree in front of your house because I'm scared you'll cuss me or I don't call the police when I hear and see suspicious behavior on that dead end street because they might figure out who called, what does that do to me? Who are we if we live like this? What are we?
And don't blame the blinkin' government! The government cleans R. M. Bailey Park every week and yet when I went there with my kids on Sunday afternoon it was filthy and unsafe for little children. We, the users, did that to R. M. Bailey Park. We can change the politicians but how do we change a people? How do we change ourselves? Who owns R. M. Bailey Park? Hubert Ingraham? The government? Who has responsibility for keeping it clean? Ingraham? Why don't we believe we own our public spaces? Why don't we care about the appearance of anything we can't drive or wear on our bodies? Who taught us to be filthy? Who made us believe we don't own anything we can't carry with us everywhere we go?
What are we going to do about this? And don't tell me we need more public service announcements 'cause they ain't workin'. What are you, reader, going to do about this mess? Clean up campaigns come and go and the garbage returns.
If you take in garbage is that what you put out? What comes out of you comes from the core of you, from the heart, not so? So then is this filthy, run-down, dilapidated, ugly, exhausted city a reflection of who we are on the inside, of the state of our souls? Is the stunning beauty of Junkanoo real or is it just a self we wish we could be and the Junk of the other 363 days of the year is the real us? If it's the latter then I'm ashamed of who we've become.
o IAN STRACHAN is Associate Professor of English at The College of The Bahamas. You can write him at strachantalk@gmail.com
In plain sight
Tucked in between legitimate thriving communities on New Providence and elsewhere in The Bahamas is a growing threat to the Bahamian way of life.
Over the last few decades they have developed in plain sight with many hundreds of occupants who reside illegally and for the most part without any sustained crackdown from authorities.
They have developed their own commercial operations, have little to no regard for acceptable hygienic practices and, according to a new report, are growing in numbers with increased threat to public health.
These are the shanty towns, the villages of primarily Haitian nationals, although some Bahamians and other nationals also squat on these lands.
But while just about any legal resident of New Providence could point to a shanty town, successive administrations have placed little focus on addressing what has mushroomed into one of the greatest threats to national identity and security.
Researchers have also documented the increasing threat these communities pose to public health.
The report on shanty towns obtained by The Nassau Guardian was completed a few weeks ago by a team of researchers from the Department of Environmental Health, but has not yet been made public by the minister responsible (Kenred Dorsett) or ministry officials.
What those researchers have unearthed should be of concern to every Bahamian.
There has been 'a marked increase' in the number of new shanty towns on New Providence over the last two years and the populations have increased "exponentially".
The report said, "There is little to no government water systems, no garbage collection services, and very little human waste disposal, which can range from satisfactory to the other extreme of placing human feces in plastic shopping bags, and dumping waste in nearby bushes and naturally occurring sink holes."
In New Providence alone, the team documented at least 15 shanty towns at various locations, but primarily in the south west and eastern areas of the island.
The researchers also said residents of shanty towns use naturally formed ocean holes to discard everything, including abandoned, or in one case, stolen automobiles, feces, dead animals and household garbage.
Researchers also observed that human feces has been observed in common walking areas between dwellings, in nearby bushes, and around animal pens, increasing the possibility of transmission of fecal-borne diseases to human and domestic animals.
"Unauthorized sale of prescription medications, primarily antibiotics, antihypertensive and ventilation groups, were observed and noted," it added.
The researchers said most of the makeshift living units have been hastily constructed of material brought back to the villages by the males who are construction workers.
"Throughout these settlements, one will observe building materials: wood planks of varying sizes and conditions, struts and beams, plywood and tin sheets for roof cover."
There have been instances where the sewerage disposal facility is only a few feet from the entrance to the dwelling.
"The substandard construction of these sewerage-holding holes lends to the cracking of the cement top of the structure, causing migration of the waste contained," the report said.
"Yet another method of disposal, in addition to the bagging and tossing of human waste, is the burning of fecal material, in open air.
"This action has a deleterious effect on air quality in and around the burn area, spreading along with air currents, into surrounding neighborhoods as well as the possibility of further airborne contaminants and disease-causing pathogens being liberated during the process.
"In almost all shanty villages observed, in addition to the pervasive dumping of fecal and discarded items, the signs of rodent infestation around the dwellings was observed."
The report said, "Hand washing when the behavior was observed, was performed using water in a cooking pot, small galvanized bucket or tub.
"Others would use the same water. The used water often would remain in the container, or thrown onto the ground. The children can be observed in and around garbage dump areas with little concern for disease acquisition."
The report noted that proper hand washing is necessary for minimizing the transmission and spread of microbes and diseases associated with their presence.
"Many of the residents of these areas have little communicative skills and command of the English language, as well as little to no knowledge of public health and proper sanitation practices."
Researchers also noted, "Children from these shanties attend local schools, based on their respective age.
"Children not exposed to these living conditions will invariably come in contact with persons that may be infected with ringworm or shigellosis (bacillary dysentery, a bacterial disease involving the distal small intestine and colon, characterized by loose stools, fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps, sometimes toxemia and tenesmus) that may cause serious physical discomfort.
"Some of the people residing in the shanties confided that many of the gangs will often steal vehicles, secure them in the shanty, and take them apart, selling electronics, engine parts, tires and rims and finally, the wiring for scrap metal."
In the form of entertainment, the people of these shanties host cock fighting (weekends primarily) with wagers placed on combatants.
The researchers also said there appears to be little delineation in the separation of human and livestock
environment.
The report warned of "opportunistic microorganisms that possess specific morphologies, and patho-physiological characteristics that have the capability to jump species, from animal (or a human waste medium) to humans, causing serious public and personal health implications."
Researchers visited shanty towns at Allen Drive, off Fire Trail Road; Cowpen Road east; Cowpen Road west; Gamble Heights; Zirconia Court in the area of Carmichael Road east; Faith Avenue; Bacardi Road; Spigot Road; Joe Farrington Road; Sea Breeze Lane; Kool Acres and other areas of New Providence.
Action
Dorsett, the minister responsible for the environment, has assured that the Christie administration is not turning a blind eye to the shanty town problem.
He said yesterday that an inter-ministerial committee has been set up to tackle the issue in a serious and focused way.
These include the ministers for works and urban development, immigration, national security and social services.
"We will be serving orders under the Environmental Health Services Act and accompany regulations and bringing prosecutions," Dorsett said.
Asked whether the intent is to prosecute the hundreds of squatters, he said the owners of the properties are the ones who would be subject to prosecutions.
"Clearly Social Services will be involved because there are Bahamians living in these areas," Dorsett added.
"There's a distinction between those who are occupying and those who own the land. Our orders are being served on landowners in the first instance. We've identified persons who actually own the land where these exist. So those persons are those who we will serve any notice."
Dorsett said as far as he was aware, there is limited occupation of crown land.
He also said the problem is much bigger than shanty towns.
"We have been asked to go beyond looking at shanty towns," Dorsett said.
"There will be a holistic approach to this effort and so when we look at the human condition under which people live in shanty towns, the reality is some of that exists in Over-the-Hill as well.
"I think that's one of the reasons why the Ministry of Social Services is involved. For me, it is to ensure that these properties do not create environmental and public health hazards.
"In New Providence, they seem to be popping up more and more, but what concerns me is that more Bahamians are living in these shanty towns and in areas and in conditions similar to what you would have found only in shanty towns."
The government will tackle poverty and the human condition, Dorsett assured.
The minister recognized that addressing the problem will require a sustained approach.
In the last administration, the issue of shanty towns came into the spotlight, on and off, primarily during several fires that erupted in those villages.
What to do about these illegal communities ought to be one of the more pressing concerns of the government -- not just in New Providence.
While the new report on shanty towns outlines numerous threats to public health, the growing communities as observed by researchers, also have huge national security implications.
But what will become of the hundreds, if not thousands, of squatters?
Dorsett said the ministries of Immigration and Social Services will take the lead in this regard.
Where there are illegal immigrations, he said the Department of Immigration will act.
"I don't think we can afford not to do something about the existence of these shanty towns," Dorsett said.
"It is something that we have to address."
FNM 'new faces' in GB not ready
Dear Editor,
We now have a fairly good idea why Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing abandoned his Marco City constituency in Grand Bahama.
Norris Bain, who has been selected by the governing Free National Movement (FNM) to replace Laing in Marco City, provided what appears to be convincing evidence that Laing was forced to desert Marco City because the leadership of the FNM decided he could not win against Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate Gregory Moss.
In his maiden address as a politician at the FNM's nationally televised launch of its Grand Bahama candidates at the Grand Lucaya Resort in Freeport on Sunday, Bain thanked Laing for "stepping aside to allow me to represent the good constituents" of Marco City. Bain went on to thank Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham for having "the fortitude to arrange this new group of candidates to take Grand Bahama to the next level".
This clearly suggests that Ingraham had the final say in Laing's decision to forsake the residents of Marco City, which is not surprising given the fact that Ingraham more likely than not dictatorially hand-picked all of the candidates that the FNM has chosen to contest the next election.
Laing, of course, will discover that Ingraham, who is his mentor, did not do him any favors when he convinced him to run for the Fort Charlotte constituency in New Providence. The word out of New Providence is that Dr. Andre Rollins, the PLP's candidate for Fort Charlotte, will give Laing a worse beating than he would have gotten from Gregory Moss in Marco City.
Meanwhile, it was obvious from their addresses that the three 'new faces' that Ingraham has picked to run in Grand Bahama are not ready for the challenges that lie ahead for them in the political arena as they seek to erase from the memories of Grand Bahamians just how bad and vindictive the FNM government has been towards Grand Bahama over the past four-plus years.
Peter Turnquest, who is the FNM's candidate for East Grand Bahama, spent considerable time thanking and praising former Housing Minister Kenneth Russell for the good job that Russell did as the representative for High Rock, the constituency that comprises most of East Grand Bahama.
Surely Turnquest must be aware of the fact that Russell was forced to retire as MP for High Rock in the most brutal manner by Ingraham, who rubbed 'pepper' into Russell's 'emotional wounds' by sending Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette to inform him that he would not be running again. The question that political novice Turnquest should have asked himself before he voiced high praise for Russell was this: If Russell was such a good representative, then why did Ingraham decide to fire him in such a humiliating manner?
Pakesia Edgecombe, who has been given the task of trying to unseat PLP incumbent Obie Wilchcombe in West Grand Bahama and Bimini, for the most part during her address exhibited the speaking skills she developed as a news anchor at ZNS News 13 in Grand Bahama. However, the question that I have for Pakesia is this: While you were the main news anchor at ZNS News 13, did you agree with Ingraham's vindictive cancellation of national broadcasts of ZNS news out of Grand Bahama mainly for what many are convinced were personal reasons aimed at downgrading Freeport's importance as The Bahamas' second major city?
I've already mentioned Norris Bain's political 'foot-in-mouth' remarks, so it is quite obvious that the three 'new faces' chosen by Ingraham as candidates in Grand Bahama will be nothing more than 'political groupies' who will be so much in awe of Ingraham that they will not dare question any deleterious decision he makes, thus solidifying his dictatorial control of the FNM.
Of course, the two incumbent FNM representatives who are seeking reelection - Neko Grant in Central Grand Bahama and Kwasi Thompson in Pineridge - have already demonstrated that they are also afraid of Ingraham's wrath by remaining silent over the past four-plus years as Ingraham totally neglected Grand Bahama and rigidly imposed policies that wrecked Grand Bahama's economy, resulting in an unemployment rate in excess of 20 percent and tremendous pain and suffering by far too many residents of Grand Bahama.
Grant at one time was considered to be at the top of Ingraham's list of incumbents to be denied a nomination, but he has unquestionably benefitted from the brutal manner in which Ingraham fired his good friend, former Housing Minister Kenneth Russell, who subsequently referred to Ingraham as a "dictator" and a "tyrant". Grant showed that he was appreciative of being given "new political life" by repeatedly thanking Ingraham for giving him the opportunity to "anchor" the FNM's Grand Bahama team.
What's more, despite reports that many FNMs in Grand Bahama are not at all pleased with the slate of candidates personally selected by Ingraham, so much so that some of them reportedly boycotted the launch of the FNM candidates, Grant predicted that the FNM will win all five seats in Grand Bahama.
No one in their right mind who lives in Grand Bahama would agree with such a prediction. Indeed, the opposite may be true. I'm convinced that the PLP will win a minimum of four seats in Grand Bahama and there is a better-than-average possibility that incoming Prime Minister Perry Christie will have five Grand Bahama members of the House of Assembly to help him restore good governance to this country.
- Oswald T. Brown
Zero tolerance
By Philip C. Galanis
I am often amazed at the level of disconnect demonstrated by Bahamians today from the things that make us good citizens. I believe that at heart Bahamians are good-natured, fun-loving people, who want the best for our country and generally want to do the right thing and do things the right way.
But at the same time, it seems that we allow our dark side to overpower us in ways that might appear to be innocuous but really, when we consider it, have a negative and even deleterious effect on us individually and collectively.
Accordingly this week I would like for us to Consider This.... should we be developing an attitude and behavior that would exemplify zero tolerance toward ...
Govt 'inclined' to approve Nygard lease
The government is "inclined" to grant a well-known Lyford Cay resident a lease for accreted land following a possible environmental survey, according to the community's chairman.
In a letter dated February 18 to members of the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association, which has been obtained by Guardian Business, Philip Dunkley said that the government has been in negotiations with Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard.
The billionaire has applied for a lease from government on reclaimed land on Nygard Cay, otherwise known as Simms Point. Dunkley explained that the government "may be inclined to accede to Mr. Nygard's application" in the near future.
"The government has, however, indicated that it will be more vigilant to prevent any future reclamation of lands adjoining Nygard Cay," the letter stated.
"Notwithstanding the foregoing, the POA continues with its efforts on behalf of the Lyford Cay community on this issue, but fully understands that those members whose private interests are directly affected may wish to take independent action to protect their rights."
The announcement is sure to raise a few eyebrows in one of the most affluent communities in The Bahamas. It could also bring to an end a contentious issue that has been in and out of the courts for years.
Nygard acquired the most western tip of the gated community back in 1984. Since then, the property has expanded in size by spreading out into the ocean. Whether this growth was natural or engineered has remained a contentious issue among Lyford Cay residents.
According to a statement of claim filed in the Supreme Court on April 6, 2011, Tex Turnquest, then director of the Department of Lands and Surveys, informed Nygard that the government expected him to reinstate the coastline of the property to its condition at the time of the 1984 deed.
"Further, the plaintiff was informed that the government intended that the cost of this work, estimated at approximately $2.75M, would be borne by the plaintiff," the court document reads.
As of November 2009, more than 70 percent of Nygard's mansion was destroyed by fire, although foundation piles and accreted land remain in place. Government officials alleged that the accreted lands had formed as a result of the "strategic placement of groins and docks".
Nygard's attorneys, however, argued that the additional land formed as a result of the gradual and imperceptible deposit of materials from the ocean onto the land.
"It has not formed as a result of any works carried out by the plaintiff for the purpose of reclaiming land from the sea," the court continued. "In the premises, the lands that have formed at the shoreline of the property have been added to the freehold of the property and the plaintiff is and has been since their formation the owner in fee simple of those lands, by virtue of the doctrine of accretion."
The fashion mogul sought a declaration that the lands have become part of the freehold property.
In another court document filed on May 19, 2011 in the Supreme Court, former Chairman of the Lyford Cay Property Owners Association Christopher Hampton Davies said coastal works have been performed by Nygard and had a "deleterious effect on the neighboring coastal lots".
"In particular, the seemingly incessant dredging works performed at the instigation of the applicant in the seabed adjacent to Nygard has resulted in substantial interruption of the flow of sand beach, with erosion effects to small coves and beaches adjacent to some of the coastal lots of Lyford Cay nearby," the court document reads.
He alleged that the expansion encroaches on the rights of members by making it difficult to navigate the waters nearby.
Too Many Cookies Aren't Good For You
What are cookies?
A cookie, or an Internet cookie, is a small piece of text that a website stores on your computer's hard disc. The text file is designed to hold a modest amount of data where the website stores information and can then later retrieve it.
Probate And Administration of Estates Bill, 2010
This Bill is presented as a part of an ongoing effort to modernize and bring up to date, outdated laws and procedures which contribute to inefficiencies and costliness and time-consuming nuisance processes to the annoyance and disadvantage of people. These processes and procedures though still supported by some, have no place in a modern Bahamas.
We in the Government to doing away with as many of them as we can. Change always face some challenge, some opposition, some excuse why something should be done differently.
Multi-award winning film, Children of God now available on DVD
Nassau, Bahamas - The winner of 16 prestigious awards, including
audience awards and jury prizes in Spain, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago, Atlanta and New York, film festival favorite CHILDREN OF GOD was released on DVD earlier this month through TLA Releasing.
Written and directed by Bahamian director Kareem Mortimer.
The DVD contains special features such as a director's commentary, deleted scenes, and the official trailer, as well as Mortimer's award-winning short film, "Float."
Cyberstalking: A new challenge for the workplace
Can you imagine your life without the use of the internet or a cellphone? Probably not! Emails and other electronic devices have become such critical vehicles for communicating and doing business, that it is hard to imagine how we ever lived without them. Unfortunately, as great as the Internet and other electronic devices may be, they have also become vehicles for scams, viruses and more recently in the workplace, a tool used by employees to engage in character assassination of each other via social networks, online harassment and cyberstalking.
Last week I sat in horror and listened as one of my international clients relayed a story that was so mind blowing, I felt like I was watching a cloak-and-dagger espionage movie! Obviously the story is too long to relay in this forum, but here is the abridged version. My client was a victim of email spoofing! Exactly! I didn't know what is was either but apparently email spoofing "is the forgery of an email header so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source." In other words someone could send an email pretending to be you, and the receiver would have no reason to believe that it was not you, because the sender would be using your email address! Yep it could happen! Needless to say my client was in the hot seat and almost lost her job when she was confronted by the president of the company for supposedly sending mass emails to the entire staff highlighting the fact that he (the president) was "clueless, incompetent, lacked vision and was running the company into the ground." Luckily for my client, someone in the information technology department decided to run a trace on the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the email and was able to track it to its real sender - a disgruntled employee who was recently demoted - go figure!
Having been a victim of online harassment and cyberstalking myself recently, (and for those of you who may not know what cyberstalking is, ladies and gentlemen "cyberstalking is the use of the Internet or other electronic means to stalk or harass an individual, a group of individuals, or an organization. It may include false accusations, monitoring, making threats, identity theft, damage to data or equipment, the solicitation of minors for sex, or gathering information in order to harass. The definition of 'harassment' must meet the criterion that a reasonable person, in possession of the same information, would regard it as sufficient to cause another reasonable person distress." Wikipedia) I knew exactly what my client was going through.
So this week I interviewed Royal Bahamas Police Force Cyber Crimes guru, Sergeant Dale Strachan, to shed some light on this growing problem. Here is what he had to say:
Question: Have you seen a rise in cyber crimes in The Bahamas, for example on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks?
Answer: Yes. We have seen a rise in cyber crime in the following areas:
i. Threats of harm or death;
ii. Emailing of slanderous images or comments;
iii. Email hacking;
iv. A crime called phishing (where a website is created to look like the original, but it is actually a fraud). This fake site is use to gather personal information from unsuspecting persons to defraud them of money. Complaints are mainly from foreign victims reporting that a financial institution in The Bahamas posted the site.
Question: Why do you believe we are experiencing such a spike in cyber crimes? What seem to be the motive(s) of the perpetrators?
Answer: The fact that the perpetrator thinks his/her identity will remain anonymous seems to be the driving force. Ultimately the perpetrator's intent is to embarrass the victim or put him or her in fear.
Question: Is sending malicious or defamatory emails a crime in The Bahamas? Define malicious, define defamatory.
Answer: Yes both are crimes. Malicious is defined as nasty, hateful, mean, wicked, cruel emails continually being sent to the annoyance of the receiver. Also referred to as annoying email, malicious emails are similar to a common offence known as annoying telephone calls. We can add that emails threatening or implying harm or death are also an offence and amount to threats of harm or threats of death. Defamatory is defined as slanderous, derogatory emails that are distributed to others and used as a vehicle to attack a person's character.
Question: What recourse does the receiver of malicious or defamatory emails have? Can they seek police help?
Answer: Depending on the offence committed, victims have the following recourse:
o Police action can be taken;
o You can have the person bond over to keep the peace;
o You can take civil action in a court or file a lawsuit;
o You can report the email address of the sender to the hosting company as abuse and it will be removed.
Question: How can you track the sender of a malicious email?
Answer: The sender is tracked by the header information (contained in the original email.)
Question: What suggestions can you give persons to safeguard their email accounts?
Answer: Many persons in The Bahamas reported that their email accounts were hacked. Our investigation proved that the following methods were used to obtain their personal information:
o Individuals received a "pop up" asking them to reset their password information. The "pop up" claimed that if the password was not reset that the individual would loose his/her account. Once the password is reset hackers have full access to your account.
o Individuals received a "pop up" asking for personal information, specifically the question that was used when you created your account. Once you answer these questions you give hackers access to your account
o Using a public computer: When you "log off" of a public computer, persons can come after you, run password recovery software and extract your information.
o Using computers at a friend's house or the work place, to access you email account: Again the password can be extracted using recovery software. In the workplace many companies have software installed on computers that monitor employee action online. This software also captures password information.
o Your wireless network: When you put a password on a website wirelessly, anyone with access to your network also has access to all of the computers on that network and they can "sniff" traffic to capture your password.
o Be aware of putting other people's jump drives in your computer. These jump drives may contain programs that auto run with one purpose - to extract all password information that might reside on you computer.
o Do not accept the browser's suggestion to save a password.
o Set the cache on your browser to delete on exit.
Stacia Williams offers keynotes, workshops and personal coaching on a wide range of: Personal Branding, Image Management, Customer Service, Leadership, Business Etiquette & International Protocol Topics. You can contact Stacia Williams at 325-5992 or email Stacia@totalimagemanagement.com or visit staciawilliamsblog.com.
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