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What Should You Do When Attacked Online?
Argylengineotis asks: "Recently, a friend of mine was viciously attacked by an unknown third party over the internet. This is not a typical case of cyber-crime either: the attack is in the form of slander, libel and posting of private information in public forums with the intent of encouraging further harassment. On top of everything, this attack is focused on forcing my friend out of business! Though we suspect certain people of perpetrating this series of crimes, the only way our friend could prove anything is with the resources of certain server logs belonging to the forum where this attack is taking place. This puts the forum in an awkward position, as they don't want to jeopardize their common-carrier status by setting a precedent of forking over server logs when somebody says something someone else doesn't like, be it overly critical or potentially slanderous, and they've referred my friend to their lawyers. My pal's local police force is totally unsympathetic and ultimately incapable of dealing with something like this, and the FBI won't even take a report, because there are no concrete points where there is verifiable damage, just a few mean-spirited posts in an anonymous forum. What, if any, are other possible recourses in a situation like this? Should my friend somehow try to find the money to hire an attorney to try and get the server logs (if they even exist)? Should my friend try and take matters into his own hands, (vigilantism)? Is there anyone we can call or write to that can exert some justice? Or does my friend simply have to resign himself to being the victim of a pretty nasty smear campaign?"
Online forum? He can post well reasoned, sane replies to the same forum. Anyone who goes to the trouble of reading the forum will run across them and be able to make up their own mind.
Unless your friend has the money and desire to pursue this legally, outside of the internet, then the only way to fight 'public' slander, libel, abuse, etc, is to present yourself in that 'public' forum, and let the readers know who you really are.
But, quite frankly, it sounds like this is a small time deal, and I bet the only thing impacted will be your friend's pride.
Of course, you're asking slashdot. I mean, really, all we can do is stroke your ego by saying insipid things like, "Dude, you are so right to toast him!"
As with all things in life, this too shall pass.
-Adam
What Should You Do When Attacked Online?
1) Wonder WHY someone would attack you. Is it plain vandalism, or are you in some kind of business which make people angry (politics, weaponery, multinational), or you may live in a country that makes people angry (iraq, usa, israel, taiwan,...)
2) Talk to you opponents, or if you can't reach them, someone representative for their opinion. Convince them with sound arguments that they're doing the wrong thing, listen to their explanation of why they think you're doing the wrong thing. Ie. Communicate. This crucial stage solves 90% of the problems people tend to have.
3) Adopt to your new understanding of the situation, and see what happens. Stay calm, be patient. Remember that your life isn't on the line (yet).
4) If none of the above work leave some common sense out: switch to diplomacy, laws, threats, or technological defenses. (Note however, that more agressive tactics don't necessarily tackle the remaining 10% of the problems, but rather 10% of 10%.)
5) Wait for a totalitarian system of corporate control to take care of all of our daily lives, as well as those of our attackers.
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Just my $0.02 as a hippie