Safer Internet Day | Cyber Security
Every year we mark Safer Internet Day to share helpful guidance and information to support you how to stay safe online. Usually we try and share information aimed at the people we support on how to best protect yourself on the internet, but this year we’re turning our gaze towards staff. This Safer Internet Day, we’re looking at how there are a growing number of cases where people are using the internet and technology to harm, coerce and control people as a type of domestic abuse.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recently released guidance on technology-facilitated domestic abuse, and how the number of cases using technology to stalk, harass and abuse are increasing year-on-year. The charity Refuge, which support women and children against domestic violence, found that in 2019, 72% of women accessing its services said that they had been subjected to technology facilitated abuse. Research from the Victim’s Commissioner in 2022 found that 40% of cyber-stalking victims said abuse lasted for over two years.
The insidious nature of technology assisted domestic abuse is that it isn’t always easy to spot. For example, location tracking services have become somewhat normalised in recent years, and people can claim that they’re for the safety and good of the other person. Sometimes however people can use the blanket of offering this safety, protection or thoughtfulness as a cover to embed coercive and controlling behaviour into relationships, hiding their actions in plain sight. From shared bank accounts which don’t allow withdrawals without the other person’s say so, to another person having access to your social media accounts ‘just in case’; the instances of technology-facilitated abuse range widely, and may not always be immediately viewed as potentially harmful.
Tech abuse, as it is also called, can be multi-faceted. For example, someone may use technology to do one or a number of the following: cyberstalking, threaten to use explicit images, send threatening messages, access smart home devices such as cameras, and more. An abuser may use any of these ways to try and control or harm someone, and additionally works to prevent someone from feeling able to reach out to friends, family, or organisations for support.
Access to the internet can be a lifeline to many who are being subjected to domestic abuse. People can find solace in community, research ways to protect themselves, or access life-saving support. Tech abuse can therefore cut people off from their support system and prevent them from finding helpful resources. Additionally, the overarching fear and anxiety that technology-assisted domestic abuse can instil could lead people to feel unsafe if they have any kind of online presence, both at the time and long after.
Staying safe online is vital, and with the number of people being subjected to a number of different cybercrimes increasing year-on-year, it’s good to know how to protect yourself and your privacy. With approximately 4.6 million people in the UK impacted by cybercrime and fraud every year and this number increasing as cyber criminals develop new ways to harass, stalk, steal, etc., learning how to best protect yourself online and with your devices has never been more important.
Creative Support has recently introduced a new training course through Creative Academy on ‘Cyber Security Awareness’. This course looks at the act of protecting digital devices, networks and sensitive data from cyberattacks and threats: “It is important because of the vast use of digital technology in the modern day and the increasingly connected nature of such devices. Criminals are always updating their means to commit crime online so it is important to know how to protect yourself from such threats.” This course is mandatory for all staff, and we recommend noting down the resources included in training which can be beneficial.
Everyone has the right to use the internet and their devices safely and be protected from harm. If someone is asking or expecting you to grant them access to your devices, location, banking, social media, etc., know you do not have to. The normalisation of such things have led to it being somewhat accepted as part and parcel of relationships, but anything that someone wants to do that makes you feel uncomfortable or attacked can be a red flag for coercive and controlling behaviour.
If you know someone who you fear is being subjected to domestic abuse, including technology-assisted abuse, please know that there are resources and organisations available to help. The following resources provide contact details of domestic abuse support charities at the bottom for more urgent support.
Refuge have put together a guide on how to spot signs of technology-facilitated abuse, which can be accessed via the link here https://refugetechsafety.org/what-is-tech-abuse/. Women’s Aid have also put together a helpful article on how to cover your tracks online and guidance on organisations to contact: https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/cover-your-tracks-online/. Refuge have additionally created a ‘Digital Breakup Tool’, to help you review commonly used apps across your devices to help secure each platform: https://refugetechsafety.org/digitalbreakup/location.
Contact Information:
Refuge – 24/7 Freephone national domestic abuse helpline (including live chat via their website): 0808 2000 247, https://refuge.org.uk/i-need-help-now/
Safe Lives – https://safelives.org.uk/about-domestic-abuse/get-help-support/
Women’s Aid – https://womensaid.org.uk/
Respect; Men’s Advice Line – Freephone domestic abuse helpline for men (Monday-Friday between 10am-5pm) 0808 8010327 or live chat via https://mensadviceline.org.uk/contact-us/
Galop; National LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse Helpline – Freephone domestic abuse helpline (Monday-Tuesday, 9:15am-8pm. Wednesday-Friday, 9:15am-4:30pm) 0800 999 5428 or live webchat via https://www.galop.org.uk/helpline
Respond; for people with a learning disability or autism who have experienced abuse, violence or trauma: https://respond.org.uk/contact-us/
Citizen’s Advice – Highlight a range of support people can access: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/gender-violence/domestic-violence-and-abuse-getting-help/
Further Reading:
Refuge Online Safety document; https://domesticabusecommissioner.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/D2-DAC-Festival-Workshop-March-2023-Refuge-v2.pdf
https://post.parliament.uk/technology-and-domestic-abuse/
https://womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/coercive-control/