Is Cyber Blackmail Legal?
Cyber blackmail, also known as extortion, is not legal by any means and can be considered a federal crime. This type of crime is punishable by up to one year in federal prison, a fine, or both imprisonment and a fine. Sentences for blackmail can vary depending on the defendant’s prior criminal history, background, and character. For first-time offenders, sentencing could be reduced to home confinement, community service, drug treatment, etc. A defendant may also be charged with blackmail under various statutes.How to Avoid Cyber Blackmail?
1. Be Careful About What You Share Online This includes everything from personal information like your address and date of birth to sensitive financial information like your bank account number or credit card number. It’s also important to be careful about who you share this information with. If you wouldn’t give it out in person, don’t give it out online. 2. Use Strong Passwords and Keep Them Safe Another important step you can take to protect yourself from cyber blackmail is to use strong passwords for all of your online accounts and make sure those passwords are well-protected. That means using a different password for each account and not sharing your passwords with anyone else. 3. Be Wary of Email Attachments and Links Cybercriminals will often try to blackmail victims by sending them email attachments or links that contain malware or viruses. If you receive an email from someone you don’t know or an email that looks suspicious, do not open any attachments or click on any links until you are sure they are safe. 4. Keep Your Software Up-To-Date One final tip for avoiding online blackmail is to make sure all of the software on your computer, including your operating system, antivirus software, and web browser, is always up-to-date with the latest security patches. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly finding new ways to exploit security vulnerabilities, so it’s important to stay one step ahead of them by keeping your software up-to-date at all times.How to Deal with Cyber Blackmail?
DON’T LET THE BLACKMAILERS WIN
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