Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Computer Science and Information Technology, Assistant Professor Dr. Mustafa Jawad Radif, the Information Technology Research Unit organized a seminar titled “Electronic Extortion and Prevention Methods” in the Dr. Mohammed Abbas Al-Jubouri Hall. The seminar featured presentations by Dr. Huda Abbas Faisal and Dr. Manar Abdullah Muhammad.
Electronic extortion is defined as a form of digital violence, where some malicious individuals exploit technology to extort victims and threaten them with the exposure of personal information or sensitive photos. This type of extortion is a crime with far-reaching consequences for society, affecting individuals indiscriminately.
The seminar addressed various aspects of electronic extortion, including its types, causes, side effects, confrontation methods, and protection measures. Among its primary causes were identified as a lack of religious awareness, fear-based family upbringing, unemployment, sending files to untrusted individuals, establishing inappropriate online relationships, and inadequate supervision of youth and teenagers.
The lectures highlighted several types of electronic extortion, including emotional, utilitarian, and financial extortion.
The most effective solutions to protect individuals from extortion include ensuring the deletion of all sensitive images and files before selling a mobile phone, using file erasure applications like Super Eraser for Android to reset the device and storing non-essential files, and repeating the reset process multiple times. Additionally, individuals should avoid sending personal photos to unknown individuals on social media platforms. It is crucial to activate parental control within families and follow safe internet practices, such as refraining from opening unidentified source links before verifying them for threats.