What can you can do to make sure an E-impersonation Bill gets passed in your state?

As I stated in my blog, in order to protect yourself  and your loved ones in today’s digital age, while simultaneously giving law enforcement the power they need to prosecute E-Impersonation for cyber-bulling purposes, we all need to work together to get involved and ensure that each state has or passes a similar bill to California’s Penal Code Section 528.5.  There are a few steps that are needed to make this happen and we will keep you posted over the next few weeks as we make progress to make sure EVERY state can protect EVERY person in this country.

So far, only a few states have laws similar to this law in California.

The first step is letting your state legislator know that you have a right to be protected.  Find out who your legislator is by visiting this website and then write him/her a letter or an email (suggested copy is below):
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Dear YOUR LEGISLATOR,

This letter is to respectfully request that you take a look immediately at a law recently passed in the state of California (Senate Bill 1411 reflected in California Penal Code Section 528.5) making “E-Impersonation” a crime.  Very few states have laws like this that protect politicians, celebrities, and victims of cyber-bullying.

There is a growing and concerning rise of individuals using the anonymity of the Internet to harass, threaten and severely annoy people by impersonating them online (E-Impersonation).  This type of behavior can have significant ramifications in the impersonated victim’s life including suicide, depression, helplessness – all of which are avoidable with the right laws and awareness in place.  Politicians and celebrities are not the only victims of such abuse…it can affect EVERYONE including the helpless child who is impersonated online for cyber-bullying purposes.  We are at a stage in our digital century when we critically need additional tools for law enforcement to have in their arsenal to fight this crime.

California’s Senate Bill 1411 makes it unlawful to knowingly and without consent credibly impersonate another person through or on an Internet Web site or by other electronic means with the intent to harm, intimidate, threaten or defraud another person. An impersonation is credible where another person would reasonably believe, or did reasonably believe, that the defendant was or is the person who was impersonated.

As our reliance on the Internet increases, many opportunities for abuse have and will present themselves. The victims of such harassment and threats as of impersonation perpetrated through the Internet are typically left without adequate legal protection to stop this abuse.  California and a handful of other states have rectified this problem by making it a crime to impersonate someone on an Internet Web site or through other electronic means such as email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites.  Violators can not only be prosecuted criminally but the victim can also seek civil remedies.

Senate Bill 1411 received bipartisan unanimous support in both houses of the Legislature in California; and it’s important that we are protected here in our state as well.

There is no doubt that a similar bill here would have support from law enforcement, crime victims, and privacy advocates.

I respectfully request your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE

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We can stop E-Impersonation.  Please join us and act now.

Thanks,
Hemu

E-Impersonation is a CRIME

There is a growing and concerning rise of individuals using the anonymity of the Internet to harass, threaten and severely annoy people by impersonating them online (“E-Impersonation”).  This type of behavior can have significant ramifications in the impersonated victim’s life including suicide, depression, helplessness – all of which are avoidable with the right law(s) and awareness in place.  Politicians and celebrities are not the only victims of such abuse…it can affect EVERYONE including the helpless child who is impersonated for cyber-bullying purposes.  We are at a stage in our digital century when we critically need additional tools for law enforcement to have in their arsenal to fight this crime.

It is time to ensure that every state in our country has a law that appropriately protects our citizens from E-Impersonation.  The state of California has recently shown us that it can be done and can be done now.  In California, State Senator Joe Simitian spearheaded California Senate Bill 1411 into what has become California Penal Code Section 528.5, which in part states:

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any person who knowingly and without consent credibly impersonates another actual person through or on an Internet Web site or by other electronic means for purposes of harming, intimidating, threatening, or defrauding another person is guilty of a public offense punishable pursuant to subdivision (d).

(b) For purposes of this section, an impersonation is credible if another person would reasonably believe, or did reasonably believe, that the defendant was or is the person who was impersonated.

(c) For purposes of this section, “electronic means” shall include opening an e-mail account or an account or profile on a social networking Internet Web site in another person’s name.

(d) A violation of subdivision (a) is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(e) In addition to any other civil remedy available, a person who suffers damage or loss by reason of a violation of subdivision (a) may bring a civil action against the violator for compensatory damages and injunctive relief or other equitable relief pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), (4), and (5) of subdivision (e) and subdivision (g) of Section 502.

In other words, this California law can help stop cyber-bullying through E-Impersonation.  We hope there will be a Federal law soon.

Find out how how to protect yourself and your love ones and make an impact by bringing this matter to your legislature’s attention, click here.

Thanks,
-Hemu

More Resources for you to check out:
Here is a video from CNN where I explain further.

Please take a look at Senator Simitian’s website where you can read the entire law (it’s only ONE paragraph), read the letter he wrote to then Governor Schwarzenegger, and a very simple ‘fact sheet’ that explains all you need to know.

Hackers Unite

The thieves who made off with more than $2.5M from Citibank and caused the bank to issue 100,000 replacement bank cards have highlighted an alarming trend. Hackers are evolving. And, they are organizing and uniting. They even have a Twitter account. Before the advent of the Internet, we called these hackers “robbers” or “criminals” or the “mafia.” However, now that the Internet has provided a way to enter the front door through the digital underground, hacking has evolved in to a disastrous enterprise.

I’m seeing the evolution of four kinds of hackers emerging into cohesive groups that we need to pay close attention to.

Mobsters: The hackers who attacked Citibank are probably “mobster” hackers. Mobsters are hackers who are connected to large-scale criminal enterprises bringing new meaning to the phrase “organized crime.” In some cases, crime families are hiring hacking groups to procure log-in information for one site knowing that many consumers today are using the same log-in for their financial sites as well. Citibank seems like a perfect example of this kind of activity.

Taunters: Taunting hackers are just thumbing their noses at anyone who dares to believe they have good online security systems in place. These kinds of hacker are breaking security settings, stealing email addresses, and bypassing firewalls just to show that it can be done, usually to the great embarrassment of the company being preyed upon. The hackers who keep breaching Sony’s systems and the CIA website are most likely taunters.

Activists: Activist hackers seem to have taken a nod from Taunters. While the act of hacking remains criminal, hackers who are breaching security to support a social cause aren’t in it for the money. The hi-jacking of the PBS website to protest the Frontline story on Wikileaks is a prime example as are the attacks on Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Sarah Palin. These are more like sit-ins, road blocks, and Green Peace protests.

Anarchists: The fourth and final kind of hackers are those who are working to dismantle governments, disrupt the lives of entire populations, or shut down some branch of government. Anarchist hackers may be engaged in what some might call terrorists activities and others might call citizen uproars or even revolutions. (On a side note, when sponsored by nation-states against enemies, they fall under counter-intelligence activities as well. See unleashing worms).

Whenever those destined to engage in criminal activity of any kind begin to unite and organize, good citizens must pay serious attention. Metamorphosis is a dynamic process, and the hacking evolution is no different. As certain groups gain strength and numbers, allegiances will shift and factions will break.

And as they declare war on each other, the good citizens of the world, like you and I, can find ourselves in a heap of collateral damage.

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