Tackling Digital Safety for Women

Did you know that women are disproportionately affected by cybercrime, cyber stalking, cyber bullying, cyber harassment, and image-based sexual abuse? We asked Cris Kittner, Principal Analyst at Mandiant Threat Intelligence, and Lillian Teng, Director of Threat Investigations from Verizon Media to join us for a discussion around their recent talk on digital safety for women and practical strategies women of all ages can take to increase their online safety. Cris and Lillian provided their reasons and motivations for putting together the talk, which they first presented at the Grace Hopper Celebration in 2020. They highlighted the connection between physical and cyber stalking and the need for these conversations to be normalized. Far too often, Cris and Lillian heard from young professionals that they believed the cyber harassment that was happening to them in the workplace or at conferences was “normal.” To combat the issues many women are facing online, Chris and Lillian provided a list of practical considerations that women should follow, such as using a password manager, knowing what permissions are being given to third-party applications, understanding that Snapchat images can be recovered, adjusting (or eliminating) location tags, and how to report abuse happening on social media sites. Listen to the episode today for online safety strategies that can help you or a loved one stay safe online.