Cyber Law

Everyone who works on a computer must be familiar with the term "Cyber Crime". Initially, when man invented computer and then the technology for communicating between computers was evolved, he would have never thought that the cyber space he is creating could be flooded with any crime i.e. cyber crime. But now almost all of us might have heard the term computer crime, cyber crime, e-crime, hi-tech crime or electronic crime which is nothing but an activity done with a criminal intent in cyber space. Simply put, it is an activity which is generally criminal in nature, where a computer or network is the source, tool, target, or place of a crime. To say in one line, "Cyber crime refers to all the activities done with criminal intent in cyberspace."

Such crime involves an information technology infrastructure, including illegal access (unauthorized access), illegal interception (by technical means of non-public transmissions of computer data to, from or within a computer system), data interference (unauthorized damaging, deletion, deterioration, alteration or suppression of computer data), systems interference (interfering with the functioning of a computer system by inputting, transmitting, damaging, deleting, deteriorating, altering or suppressing computer data), misuse of devices, forgery (ID theft), and electronic fraud.

This article intends to give an overview of Cyber Crimes since in e-life (of which we all are a part of) conventional crimes like extortion, forgery etc. are being done with the help of computers; which most of us are using for online monetary transactions.

In today's e-Age, 'Crime' has extended itself beyond physical assault or mental torture; now it also affects our e-life. E-Life means our existence & living in the cyber world. Every one of us is a part of this cyber world, directly or indirectly, since computers & internet are now an integral part of our personal & professional life. Just like any other invention, Computers & Internet are a boon to human kind if used in a right way and to the advantage of the society. However, as we all know, everything has its pros and cons and so computers & internet are not an exception. If we consider 'Cyber Crime' as virus then it won't be untrue to say this virus is corrupting man's significant development (computers and internet) which is responsible for developing civilized society for men. Cyber Crime is a menace all over the world and is the one of the most difficult & challenging to detect & investigate. You will find it interesting to note that even the official website of the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of Crime Branch Mumbai quotes "The invisible criminal is dangerous than the visible one".

You may be wondering why one should know about Cyber Crime?

Most of us are using internet and computers for online transactions where we transmit personal information and possibly do monetary transactions. If your personal information goes in wrong hands and you become bankrupt or you start receiving absurd mails or your e-mail account gets flooded with unwanted mails; means you have become a victim of Cyber Crime.

Cyber Crime has various forms which may include hacking (illegal intrusion into a computer system without the permission of owner), phishing (pulling out the confidential information from the bank / financial institutional account holders by deceptive means), spoofing (getting one computer on a network to pretend to have the identity of another computer in order to gain access to the network), cyber stalking (following the victim by sending e-mails or entering the chat rooms frequently), cyber defamation (sending e-mails to all concerned / posting on website the text containing defamatory matters about the victim), threatening (sending threatening e-mails to victim), salami attacks (making insignificant changes which go unnoticed by the victim), net extortion, pornography (transmitting lascivious material), software piracy (illegal copying of the genuine software / programs), email bombing, virus dissemination (sending malicious software which attaches itself to other software), IPR theft, identity theft, data theft, etc.

Hacking, destroying files and data through spreading virus are the largest number of offences in the cyber world.

"Russia, China and Brazil are world leaders in cyber crime. India is fast emerging as a major hub of cyber crime, however our legal system is already in place to tackle this menace of cyber crime and to control it and punish the guilty. Cyber Crime, which we may define as "an unlawful act wherein the computer is either a tool or a target or incidental to the crime", has both civil as well as criminal remedies.

So let's talk about the remedies available against such crimes. In India, the offence of Cyber Crime is covered under Information Technology Act 2000 and under the Indian Penal Code.

Cyber Crime Cells have been established by law in major cities. These Cells function directly under the Commissioner of Police of respective cities. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) already has a cyber crime wing operational since 1999.

The Government has established "The Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal" under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The Tribunal has the same powers as are vested in a Civil Court for requiring the discovery and production of documents, receiving evidence on affidavits. But the decisions of the Tribunal can be contested by the High Court. The Information Technology Act not only applies to the offence committed in India, but it can also be used to bring offenders from foreign countries to India for trial.

Powers of Cyber Crime Cells:

Any police officer, not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police, or any other officer of the Central Government or a State Government authorised by the Central Government in this behalf may enter any public place and search and arrest without warrant any person found therein who is reasonably suspected or having committed or of committing or of being about to commit any offence under this Act.

Punishment for Cyber Crime:

A person found guilty of cyber crime shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Salient features of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008:

The Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 was enacted in October 2009.

The term "digital signature" has been replaced with "electronic signature" to make the Act more technology neutral. A new section has been inserted to define "communication device" to mean cell phones, personal digital assistance or combination of both or any other device used to communicate, send or transmit any text video, audio or image. A new section has been added to define "cyber café" as any facility from where the access to the internet is offered by any person in the ordinary course of business to the members of the public.

There is an addition of several new offences into the Act. Section 66 has now been expanded to include sections 66A, (offensive messages) 66B, (Receiving stolen computer) 66C, (Identity theft), 66D (Impersonation), 66E (Voyeurism) and 66 F (Cyber Terrorism). Section 67 has been expanded to include Sections 67A (Sexually explicit content), 67 B (Child Pornography),

In short about Cyber Terrorism:

Cyber terrorism is the premeditated use of disruptive activities, or the threat thereof, against computers and/or networks, with the intention to cause harm or further social, ideological, religious, political or similar objectives, or to intimidate any person in furtherance of such objectives.

Cyber terrorism can have a serious large-scale influence on significant numbers of people. It can weaken countries' economy greatly, thereby stripping it of its resources and making it more vulnerable to military attack.

Computer crimes, also known as cyber crimes, can be described as any criminal act that involves dealing with computers and internet networks. There are various types of cyber crimes committed by criminals.

Here are some of the different types of cyber crimes:

1. Back Door: This type of computer crime is useful during software piracy. It is possible to access commercially provided software packages only through procedures that are secret and hard-coded. However, back doors can be created and inserted into existing programs so as to gain unauthorized access to the software.

2. Data Diddling: This type of cyber crime can be explained as an act of modifying data from a computer system with the objective of either having fun or gaining profit. Some examples include modifying school grades, changing credit rating, altering security clearance information or circumventing audit regulations.

3. Sabotage: This computer crime is committed with a deliberate intention of damaging operation or the equipment.

4. Data Leakage: This can be explained as unauthorized leakage of confidential information present in a computer system. One can accomplish this crime either physically through different kinds of storage devices or by means of network through a process known as hacking.

5. Impersonation: Every secured site needs an authorization code to gain access, Impersonation is a cyber crime that involves gaining access to a secured site by means of pretending to be an authorized used.

6. Logic Bomb: These are special programs written by software programmers with the intention of committing a crime. These programs work in the same way as a time bomb. However, they need a logic in order to trigger and explosion. A logic bomb is a type of Trojan that can damage the entire data present in a system.

When you stop and think about it, it really is amazing just how big a role the internet plays in our daily lives. In fact, it can safely be said that those under the age of 25 probably can't envision a world without the internet. Research has confirmed the ubiquitous nature of the internet; a 2010 study from Forrester Research found that, for the first time, consumers spent as much on the internet as watching TV. Another report found that Americans aged 13-24 actually spent more time on the internet (16.7 hours per week) than watching television (13.6 hours).

Given the internet's meteoric rise over the past two decades, it perhaps isn't surprising that some people develop a literal addiction to this worldwide, interconnected network. Below are some examples of the health risks of spending far too much time online:

• In 2005, a 28 year-old South Korean man died after spending a stunning 50 straight hours playing an online game.
• An even more incredible case of internet addiction also comes from South Korea. In 2002, one gamer spent an unfathomable 86 straight hours playing an online game, a dubious streak that wound up claiming his life.
• A 20 year-old English man suffered a fatal blood clot after a 12 hour online gaming session.

Granted, these are extreme cases, but it appears that more health professionals are prepared to classify "internet addiction" as a mental health condition. In late 2012, several news stories reported that the American Psychiatric Association was considering adding "Internet Use Disorder" in its latest revision of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders. According to the New York Post, the entry for Internet Use Disorder would feature the following symptoms:

• Preoccupation with online gambling and a need to spend more time wagering via the Internet.
• Withdrawal symptoms when computer use is denied.
• Continued excessive Internet use by an individual, even if he or she knows how dangerous the problem has become.
• Lying to shrinks and loved ones about excessive Internet use and online gambling.
• Losing interest in other forms of entertainment and hobbies.

The potential inclusion of Internet Use Disorder raises a disconcerting question - with an estimated 282 million Americans using the internet in 2012, exactly how many users would qualify as addicts? Some sources claim that the number might be quite large; the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery suggests that as many as 1 in 8 Americans might struggle with some form of internet dependency (the same organization also reports that the number might be as high as 30 percent in several Asian countries, like South Korea, China and Taiwan).

The "Shutdown" Law

You've probably noticed that South Korean internet users keep appearing in this article. There is good reason for this, as the country appears to have a large population of hardcore online gamers. The South Korean government has noticed this trend as well, to the point that a new law was issued in 2011 aimed at curbing internet overuse.

The Shutdown law prevents children under the age of 16 from playing online games between the hours of 12AM and 6AM. In theory, this will force intense adolescent gamers to get some badly needed sleep. In practice, the gamers might turn out to be one step ahead of the government. A significant number of teenage players have been able to illegally hijack their parents' online identities, allowing them to circumvent the law. In response to this development, the South Korean government is pressuring gaming companies to turn over personal information about young gamers, including social security numbers and phone numbers.

While internet users in the United States typically don't have the insatiable online appetite found in many South Koreans, research indicates that Americans have become heavily attached to modern technology. A 2010 University of Maryland study examined the impact of heavy internet and cell phone use on college students. The participants were barred from using every type of media for 24 hours - in other words, they couldn't use their cell phones, surf the internet or watch TV for an entire day.

The results of the study did not paint a pretty picture; many students reported feeling withdrawal symptoms after just one day without modern media channels. Students who were used to sending text messages throughout the day, for instance, felt as if they had been somehow separated from friends and family. A large number of participants made the same claim regarding e-mails and social networking sites, stating that they felt alone and isolated without access to these mediums.

As technology continues to evolve, the issue of internet addiction will doubtlessly receive further attention from researchers. As it currently stands, is term "Internet Use Disorder" is vaguely defined, as is still being evaluated by the American Psychiatric Association. In the meantime, you can prevent yourself from becoming too attached to the internet by using the proceeding guidelines:

• Limit the amount of time you spend online each day.
• If you find yourself spending endless hours on the internet, install a "shutdown timer" on your desktop, which will automatically turn off your computer after a predetermined amount of time. These timers can be found through a simple search engine query.
• Make plans with your friends and acquaintances to hang out at various places, such as malls and bowling alleys.
• Instead of using instant messages, opt for making phone calls.
• Keep a log of all the sites you visit, and the length of time you visit them. Record your emotions when you looking out these sites; this will allow you to determine if you're using the internet to deal with stress and/or boredom. If this is indeed the case, use other activities to occupy your time, such as learning a new hobby or exercising.

Internet is one technology that has revolutionized every aspect of modern day living. There is no sphere of life where internet has not spread its tentacles. From being a medium of communication, it has turned into an information warehouse, entertainment hub and an enormous virtual market. As the online services continues to grow, so does its presence and impact on the everyday life of millions of individuals across the globe.

Business is perhaps the one sphere that has been affected by the growth of World Wide Web to the maximum. The development and growth of e-commerce has brought numerous products direct into the homes of the customers. Irrespective of how small or big it is, every business tries to get a unique place for itself in the cyber world. This is done through individual websites, online promotion of products ad various other methods.

The developments in internet have made it possible for people to buy and sell a wide range of products with just a few mouse clicks. It has almost neutralized the distances that made it quite difficult for people in one part of the globe to learn about and purchase the products manufactured in another part of the globe. In the cyber world, there are no restrictions of time and which makes it possible for a client sitting in Asia to purchase a product or sell a sample to someone located in USA.

In addition, the new cyber laws and security measures have resulted in creating a safer cyber market where people don't have to worry about being duped of their hard earned money. Online transactions have become much more secure and businesses are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that any personal information about their clients continues to remain a secret and is not misused by any other person in any manner.

The unparalleled growth of online services has allowed businesses to grow in manner that was never anticipated. As the net continues to come up with new technologies, new avenues are constantly opening up for further growth and expansion of businesses. With new e-commerce policies and latest technologies, doing business on the net will be child's play.Internet blog reviews have made it possible for people to get updated information on internet services.

Teenagers spend most of their time these days on their cell phones, texting, instant messaging, uploading photos, using social networking sites like Facebook and generally spending a large portion of their life online. Unfortunately, bullying has also jumped online. It's called cyber or internet bullying and its prevalence rivals traditional school yard bullying.

Cyber bulling occurs when someone posts rumors, secrets, threats, private photos or any other material intended to hurt, embarrass or harass another person online. It's estimated that cyber bulling affects nearly half of all teenagers and its reach is increasing every year.

Girl bullies in particular use the internet to bully their victims. Girls generally bully to increase their social status, to demean or belittle rivals or to exclude others from a group. Because girls don't generally bully in a physical manner, cyberspace is a perfect outlet for their bullying. Rumors and secrets can spread like wildfire and they can accomplish their purpose quickly.

Cyber bullies can actually be victims of physical or schoolyard bullying themselves. They seek revenge through internet bullying because they can be anonymous and cyberspace does not require physical strength. They can seek this revenge with little in the way of repercussions.

Victims of cyber bullying find themselves feeling scared, hurt, embarrassed and angry. They feel helpless to defend themselves because they don't generally know who the bully is. In particularly heinous cases cyberbullying can damage the victim's psyche leaving them in a suicidal state.

Cyber bullying prevention starts with reporting of the incident -either to school officials or if the bullying involves threats or any other illegal activity to law enforcement. Although cyberbullies believe that they are anonymous, they really aren't. Everyone leaves a digital footprint in cyberspace and they can be found.

Cyber bullying has become an epidemic and it's everyone's responsibility to do their part in preventing it. With teens spending a large portion of their time online, schoolyard bullying is no longer the only problem.

Cyber bullying is a growing problem among children and teens. Cyber bullying is bullying that takes place using cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Here a our top tips for families to stop cyber bullying.

1. Tell an Adult

Children should not be afraid to tell a parent, teacher or police if they are or have been cyber bullied. It is important for child to feel comfortable to report any messages that are harassing or threatening.

2. Anti Bullying Program

Many schools already have anti-bullying programs in place but if your school does not, parents should insist that one be implemented. Anti-Bullying programs provide children with a safe environment and knowledge on what to do if they ever encounter a bully. Programs address all types of bullying and solutions.

3. Laws & Enforcement

If your school does not already have a relationship with local law agencies it should consider building a relationship. Law Agencies can help enforce cyberbullying.

4. Parent Awareness

Parents should be on the lookout for signs that their child is being cyber bullied. Signs of cyberbullying include but are not limited to not wanting to go to school, acting depressed, having nightmares or lost interest in computers.

5. Bullying Awareness

Parents must communicate with their children about bullying and cyberbullying. Parents should also encourage their children to communicate back if they are ever bullied themselves.

6. Computer Time

Parents may not be able to monitor all their children's internet activity but it may be helpful to keep computers used by children in common areas of the home.

7. Save Evidence

If your child is being bullied it is extremely important to save all internet activity which includes, emails, chats, instant messages and web pages sent or posted by bullies. This information can be used as evidence against the bully.

8. Don't Respond to Bullies

It is our natural reaction to respond to a bully but parents should educate their children not to respond to bullies. Parents should explain to their children how important it is not to reply back to a bully. If a child responds back with a threat it can be used against them.

9. Private Information

Parents should educate their children not to give out any private information when online. This information includes, full names, addresses, phone numbers, passwords, etc. Kids should not post anything they would not want to be made public.

10. File Complaint

Parents should file complaints with the internet service provider or website if their child is being bullied. Cyber bullying is against most services "terms of use" and violaters can be prosecuted in some instances.

The internet is a huge network of information and there are a certain cyber laws to what you can display on websites. An adult content website is no longer a new thing in the internet. As long as the website abides all cyber laws, there is no problem having it online.

To begin with, an adult content website will need a web hosting company that allows adult content in their server. Then you have to think about the usual requirements for websites like bandwidth and disk space to enable you to build the ideal design for your website.

Technically speaking, an adult content website is just as same as a normal website. However, it does require more demand on the resource that it requires.

You will definitely need more bandwidth because this type of website will have more images and videos. Therefore, you need the bandwidth to handle the uploading and downloading of data that come in and out from your website.

Secondly, there is the disk space issue. A website that is based on adult content will definitely need more disk space. The reason is similar to the bandwidth because you will need more space to store images and videos. Therefore, there is no question that disk space is an important area when you choose your web hosting company.

So, an adult content website definitely needs certain of flexibility. So, we can assume that this type of website can be well suite with dedicated hosting. This is because dedicated hosting has great flexibility and security. This is very important because you will be able to keep the private data of your customers. This type of hosting will have everything ready like the internet connection, technical support, bandwidth, space and so on. The maintenance is also taken care of by the provider. So, using this hosting will give your more freedom to concentrate on other stuff.

To conclude, an adult website really depends on the reliability and security of the web provider and if you have that in place, nothing major will go wrong.

Marketing Affiliate Programs is the perfect way to make money online, if you are deliberating how to make money with your own business. There are a number of fair and foul ways to earn money on the internet, and this is one of the safest ways to make money online. You can make money easily without breaking any cyber laws.

You can make money with these programs easily by choosing the right company. You don't really need any big amount of money to get into this business. Instead you just need to have a computer and a website.

These programs are the online marketing programs aimed at generating traffic to internet business sites. These online marketing programs offer you one of the most lucrative business opportunities online.

Promoting other people's products is termed affiliate marketing, which means selling through commissioned sales people. These programs are also termed associate programs, partner plans, 2-tier plans, referral plans, and pay-per-click plans.

Online business owners advertise their associate programs and you join one of the advertised programs. You then become an affiliate of this program. After becoming affiliate, you place referral links directed to the business site that runs the program

If a visitor on your site clicks on the referral link, he is automatically directed to the business site, and if a purchase is made you get the commission from the business owner. This is how you make money by marketing other business owner's product as an affiliate.

Affiliates direct traffic to the business site that runs these programs. As an affiliate, you work as the tool for generating traffic for the site of affiliate program operator. You make money by selling and earning commissions on each and every sale that occurs through your site. But, you don't get any commission, if sales do not occur.

You do nothing wrong or unethical or commit any cyber crime directing traffic to your affiliate program site. This is online marketing It's 100 % legal. You just play the role of a shrewd business marketer. You just send customers to your business affiliate's site to generate business sales, and get commission on every single sale. This is absolutely ethical.

Once there is demand for the product, the program can really be great money spinning machine for you. Furthermore, you can join as many programs as you can handle. If all your ventures start paying off, they can really be a great source of permanent income. Hence, it is really important for you to seek out and join the good ones.

Now the important point is how to pick the best paying programs; There are numerous wide ranges of these programs online, and you need to pick the ones that are potentially lucrative. You must do the research online to find these potential jackpots. After considering various factors, such as products or services, quality of products or services, etc., you can choose the program that you feel is right for you.

You should go for the products or services that people are buying so that you will make sales. Remember, you only make money when sales occur through your site. Thus you should go for the products or services that are in demand. So, promote right and make money with affiliate programs.

Data erased deliberately or unexpectedly can be retrieved with the aid of data retrieval specialists. Computer forensics is helpful in identifying the root cause of the lost data or information.

Computer Forensics can be defined in many ways. Most commonly, it is a specialist aid that delves into detailed analysis of computers in order to execute the necessary tasks. It carries out the exploration of the retained and preserved data of the computer, identifies any damage that might have occurred to the computer and the root cause of the damage. The enquiry process begins right from scratch and goes further into the intricate elements of the computer's operating system.

Computer forensic is a much wider conception and theory which investigates the transgressions upon computers by virus or cyber criminals. Several acts have been brought into force in order to monitor the criminal activities; yet there are a lot more that still exist. It is very difficult to uncover such activities due to lack of enough proof or substantiation. All these complex situations can be controlled with the assistance of them.

The key dictum of computer forensic specialists is to not simply find the illicit but to also find the facts and evidences. The arrangement of the substantiation is done in a manner that leads the criminal to face legal action.

Some Of The Illegal And Scandalous Activities In Computers Are:

* Unofficial utilization of computers by pilfering usernames and passwords.
* Contacting the victim computers through the internet.
* Broadcasting a malevolent computer program that is a virus.
* Pestering and stalking in cyberspace.
* E-mail scam.
* Stealing official documents.

Network forensics or Computer Forensics makes it easy for the controlled, structured and cautious detection of offence and misuse cases. They specialists should possess adequate knowledge of data retrieval software as well as hardware technicalities and should have the skill and experience to execute the job.

The 17th U.S.-China Legal Exchange, a joint US Department of Commerce ("DOC") and PRC Ministry of Commerce ("MofCom") program, was held August 27-31 with workshops held in Harbin, Beijing and Guiyang focusing on recent developments in intellectual property rights enforcement and e-commerce issues. I had the privilege of being part of the governmental and private U.S. delegation head up by Department of Commerce General Counsel Cameron Kerry.

The exchange offered some important insights into the state of e-commerce in both countries. In my presentations, I spoke of the evolution of U.S. regulation of the internet as moving from a frontier society approach, where regulation was adopted by consensus and initially focuses on measures designed to ensure e-commerce's viability so that consumers felt safe to shop online, to the current state where the number of actors and the complexity of issues involved has increased substantially and consensus is elusive. During this tour of China, Chinese media was abuzz with a price war between leading online players that left some consumers concerned whether the prices would be honored, This demonstrated that China, who soon will overtake the United States as the largest e-commerce market, was still in the "frontier phase" of internet regulation as internet penetration and trust in e-commerce takes root in China.

The process of explaining the history of U.S. regulation of e-commerce on foreign soil, was a reminder of the success of the "light touch" approach to regulation that has been applied to the internet to date. In addition, where regulators have acted they have been wise to focus on the conduct of the parties and not the technological platforms used since the internet makes both good and evil more efficient, a point I emphasized to the Chinese audience.

My presentation also touched on emerging legal issues such as crowdfunding, consumer privacy and cyber smearing. In concluding, I stated that it had been an honor to discuss this exciting new age where the vast ocean that has separated us for centuries can be navigated in seconds with the click of a mouse.

I believe that the internet is and will continue to transform China. For example, while there is much discussion about the Great Firewall used by the Chinese government, that merely captures the tip of the iceberg thus leaving untouched a great mass of discussion and debate occurring in social media and elsewhere on the internet at levels unprecedented in Chinese history.

The Department of Defense is constantly discussing how to upgrade their cyber defense technology. The Pentagon is concerned with the implications of a weak cyber system that could be exposed to cyber threats from America's enemies. The DOD wants greater cooperation with industry and government in safeguarding U.S. cyberspace. The Pentagon and DOD will meet with big time internet companies like Google and Intel to work out the best strategies to expand in the cyber industry and tackle key issues. The leaders of defense know the importance of expansion into the private sector for help in implementing cyber security and finding effective policies to regulate that area.

There would be a vast impact on individual liberty though the government maintaining surveillance in cyber systems. Many privacy issues would come about such as access to information. The government would have access to individual preferences such as someone's credit card numbers, airline, hotel, or restaurant reservations. They would know the websites the public visits and much more. However the main benefits for the public would be more effective tactics to eliminate crime and enforce laws.

There are many examples of how surveillance technology has been used. The Air Force Special Investigations Unit and the police force use this technology to track and investigate crime. They use many types of systems combined with cyber space technology such as visual, audio-visual, computer, and tracking surveillance. These types of surveillance are seen in the public a lot such as stores and public transportation. Many companies use them and there has been an increase by companies to make use of surveillance technologies in vehicles, service tags, human beings, and to track objects. These types of surveillance are becoming outdated as people are becoming more and more adept to computer systems.

Foreign countries such as China rely on cyber surveillance technologies to tighten the usage of the internet. They constantly make use of web censorship and block major private networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Government officials routinely monitor individuals and their internet behavior. The police argue that their criminal investigations work more efficiently because they can use the interne to control blackmail, gambling, and stop the spread of viruses and important computer information.

The negative side of cyber surveillance is that it could be used to monitor people and come into contact with legal issues. Managers could use cyber technology to monitor employees. Supervisors will be capable of spying for any intended purpose. New contracts will have to be implemented to get approved. There other concerns with cyber technology such as ethical and social concerns.

So - as you know I am a newsletter evangelist! I believe it is the NUMBER ONE thing that will help you create a career in the music industry. Communicating with your fan base regularly and consistently. If you do not already have a schedule mapped out for sending your newsletters - get your calendar out NOW and pencil in 12 dates - 1X per month (I suggest you send your newsletter 2X per month but start with once a month and grow from there). Studies show that the best days to send newsletters (for the highest open rates) are Tuesdays and Wednesdays so make sure to send them out mid week.

Here are 5 critical things to keep in mind as you are crafting your newsletters:

1. Keep Your Subject Line to 55 Characters
Most e-mail programs cut off the subject line after 55 and 60 characters, so keep your subject line short and sweet, and to the point; five to six words max.

2. Get Personal
Saying something personal brings you closer to your fan base. So share a photo of something you love (your pet, your kids, your friends), or something fun and non-music related you did recently like a vacation.

3. You Don't Have To Have A Show To Send A Newsletter
How about just inviting everyone on your newsletter out for drinks evening, or to join you for a show, or share something fun that you've done recently; again, or maybe you just purchased a new album and you love it, and you want to talk about it.

4. Mailing Address & Unsubscribe Link
Know that by law you need to put your mailing address and an unsubscribe link at the bottom of each of your newsletters. If you are uncomfortable adding your home address, then open up a P.O. Box and use that.

5. First Names Get Attention
Use their name. The best way to get anyone's attention is to include their first name in the subject line of an e-mail, something like this:

"Hey Kevin! Summer News From the Darrin James Band."

It's catchy, and it gets people's attention immediately to the subject of your e-mail. Bandletter can help you customize your e-mails so that your first names of your e-mail list appear in the subject line. Testing shows that the response rates will go up 50%-70% or more if you include first names.

LOL, BRB and other acronyms are those that are commonly use in chatrooms, emails and other types of internet communications. Minors have their own way of speaking online when a parent is in the room if they don't want the adults to know their conversations. These acronyms often throw parents off in confusion and they don't bother to learn what their child has been talking about to friends (or strangers) online. Here are some commonly used acronyms that you might find your child typing during online conversations.

AAMOF=As A Matter of Fact
ABFL=A big fat lady
ABT=About
ADN=Any day now
AFAIC=As far as I'm concerned
AFAICT=As far as I can tell
AFAICS=As far as I can see
AFAIK=As far as I know
AFAYC=As far as youre concerned
AFK=away from keyboard
AISI=As I see it
AIUI=As I understand it
AML=All my love
ASL=Age, Sex Location
ATM=At the moment

B4N=Bye for now
BAC=Back at computer
BD=Big deal
BBIAB=Be back in a bit
BBL=Be back later
BBS=Be Back soon
BC=Be cool
B/F=boyfriend G/F=girlfriend
BOL=Be on later
BST=But seriously though
BTA=But then again
BTDT=Been there done that
BTW=By the way
BRH=Be right here
BRT=Be right there

CD9=Code 9: Parents are around
CYA=See ya
DCed=Disconnected
DL=Download
DGA=Dont go anywhere
E=Ecstasy
EME=Email address
F2F=face to face
FYEO=For your eyes only
G2J=Got to jet
GAC=Get a clue G
RTG=Getting ready to go
GTTU=Good talking to you
GFN=Gone for now
GTSY=Good to see you

H/O=Hold on
HAGD=Have a good day
HAGN=Have a good night
HAK=Hug and kiss
HB=Hurry back
HLM=He loves me
HSWM=Have sex with me
IDK=I dont know
ILU=I love you
IMHO=Im my humble opinion
IOW=In other words
IRL=In real life
IMS=Im sorry

JK=Just kidding
KB=Kiss back

KOTL=Kiss on the lips
JAS=Just a second
l8tr=See you later
LOL=Laugh out loud
LYL=Love you lots
M/F=Male or female
MUSM=Miss you so much
M8=mate
NAZ=Name, address, zip
NM=Nevermind
OTW=On the way

PAW=Parents are watching
PM=Private Message
PLZ=Please
POS=Parents over shoulder
P911=Parent emergency
PPL=People
S2R=Send to receive
SH=So hot
THX=Thanks
TY=Thank you
TOY=Thinking of you
TPTB=The powers that be
TYVM=Thank you very much

UR= You are
W8=Wait WB=Welcome back
WBS=Write back soon
WTG=Way to go
WTGP=Want to go private
WYRN=Whats your real name
Y=why
121=one to one
143=I love you 4
11=information
53x=sex
86=over

As you can see there are a ton of acronyms here that people use. There are many, many more that aren't listed here. It's extremely important to keep our kids safe from online child predators and recognizing these acronyms in your child's conversation may save their life.

Cyber bullies and stalkers get bolder all the time and many will now create full blown blogs and web sites to harass their victims. They'll use anonymous blogger formats like WordPress.com or blogger.com to create use as a platform for their Internet terrorism. They may also create a web site using any anonymous domain proxy service to attack someone. They use these anonymous or proxy services in order to conceal their identity from their victims. But are they really untouchable? Is it impossible to locate or identify a cyber bully just because they use an anonymous proxy domain registration service or use a free anonymous blog service?

The simple answer is no. Anyone can be located or identified with a thorough enough investigation and with enough time and money anyone can be found. But you probably won't have any luck trying to do it on your own. You're going to need help from someone that has the training and experience to do this kind of investigation and unfortunately you're not going to find that kind of private investigator in the yellow pages. You're going to need a private investigator that specializes in Internet investigation and computer crimes. This kind of PI can take an email and trace it back to the owner. They can contact the web owner and obtain identifying information beyond the proxy registration. They can even contact anonymous blog sites and identify those bloggers.

The cyber bully may think they're clever and covering their tracks but the fact is that the more clever they think they are the more likely they are to be caught. A trained experienced investigator knows how to take advantage of the cyber bullies obsessive personality and use it against them. Setting up traps for the stalker to fall into and reveal themselves.

Once the private investigator has them identified the cyber bully he can document his findings in a report. That report can then be presented to your local police for further investigation and even an arrest if they feel the stalker has broken the laws. If the police feel that it is a civil matter you can hire a lawyer to send a cease and desist letter to the home of the stalker. Many times this will snap them back into reality when they see you know their real name and address and have taken serious steps to confront them in real life. However if that is not effective you can go to court and petition for a restraining order against your bully restraining them from contacting you over the Internet. If you can demonstrate they have violated that order the police will arrest them.Thus putting a stop to the cyber bully.