Last Updated on July 7, 2023
The internet is the most powerful resource in today’s world. Information is available at the touch of a button, at the search of a phrase. Information is traveling from one end of the globe to the other billions of times a day. Faster than most human minds can comprehend. However, for as great a tool the internet can be, there are those who would seek to abuse it. Online criminals of all kinds have taken root over the evolution of the world-wide web in an effort to expand their schemes into new, digital realms. The biggest umbrella of cyber-crime today usually involves blackmail. Online blackmail may takes many forms it. In today’s article, we’ll go over the types of online blackmail, and how you can stay safe on the web.
What is Blackmail?
Blackmail is a broad term for many different types of criminal situations. Online blackmail generally can be defined as a situation that involves a threat against a person or group that would involve causing that party to suffer whether by reputation or monetary loss, unless that party caters to the criminal’s demands. This definition can apply to many different situations. Each fueled by different precipitating events that classify them uniquely from each other, though each do bear certain similarities. Blackmail scams can have both offline and online components. It depends on the situation and the blackmailer.
What are the Types of Online Blackmail?
There are many different forms of blackmail, some more unique than others. Some of the most common include the following:
- Extortion – A commonly associated term with blackmail, the two situations bare a great deal of similarities to each other. Extortion is primarily classified as involving a threat of physical harm, or force, whereas blackmail involves the revelation of information. In either case, the term has been adopted for a particular form of online blackmail – sextortion.
- Sextortion is a situation where, through nefarious means, a criminal lures unsuspecting victims into communications online that are typically sexually charged, and convinces the blackmail victim to send them explicit media of themselves (sometimes even screen-recording private video calls where such media is being performed live) in an effort to extract money from the victim, in return for keeping the media private. Sextortion itself has sub-types of scams associated with it.
- Cyber-Blackmail– A seemingly vague term for a specific distinction of blackmail. This situation comes around when a criminal breaks into a system (whether it be brute-force or accidentally granted access) and steals personal information from the system. The intent is to publish said information should their needs not be met by the blackmail victim.
Other types of online blackmail
- Ransomware – This form of blackmail involves a particular family of malware (ransomware). It is used by criminals to infect a system. These malware infections typically begin when a user accesses an infected file via an e-mail attachment. This form of blackmail will usually come with a message, either on the file or transmitted by the perpetrator post-infection.
- Distributed Denial of Service – It often targets companies with online service platforms rather than individuals. The criminal uses very basic botnet protocols to ping a platform with multiple ‘users’. They increasing traffic flow to the server’s breaking point. This form of blackmail doesn’t always come with demands.
- Database Penetration/Robbery – This type of situation is nearly self-explanatory from it’s description. A perpetrator, will break into a network and remove important files from its database. This then becomes the platform of threat – to return the files for money. Again, confirm that the files are in fact missing before taking action.
You can face with online blackmail on different platforms or place. So if we divide Types of Online Blackmail by places it can be:
etc.
Best Practices to Prevent and Deal with Online Blackmail
In the world of cyber-crime, it can often seem that it is just bad luck that you’ve made a blackmail victim. However, there are certain steps you can take to help yourself prevent these situations from occurring:
- Change Passwords Frequently – A good habit to have in general. Rotating your security credentials make it more difficult for different types of blackmail to occur. It helps keep your system safer from unwanted access.
- Choose Strong Passwords – As many websites already recommend. Using passwords that are 8-12 characters long is usually enough for the average user. Most web browsers now come equipped with password generators. That can also assist you in coming up with strong, hard-to-crack passwords to prevent brute-force access .
- Visit Websites that are Reputable – It’s easy to fall into a line of thinking that ‘it’s the internet, no one can actually hurt me’ while browsing the web. Whether for work, study, or entertainment, be sure that the site you are visiting are being legitimate.
- Back Up Your Data Frequently – Another good practice in general. Keeping copies of your files locally, off your network, is a sound call for anyone, business or individual alike. We recommend weekly, if not daily backups. Assure you’re never missing your important files should a type of blackmail occur that deletes them.
- Communicate Safely Online – Always keep an eye of skepticism towards any strange or uninvited communications. Never share personal information or content with anyone you don’t know.
STOP ONLINE BLACKMAIL TODAY – GET HELP NOW
We hope this primer for the different types of blackmail you might experience online has proven informative. If, you find yourself in one of these situations, know there are recourses for swift recovery.
Many companies exist in our ever-expanding technology-driven society that can help mitigate and combat situations of online blackmail. We encourage you to do your research and make decisions based on your needs, but if you or your organization ever believe themselves to be online blackmail victims, consider reaching out to us – our team is available to hear your case 24/7. Visit our main website for contact information, or chat now with a representative online. Our Sextortion Helpline is ready to help you 24/7
