So what is cyber stalking? It is similar to stalking offline but not quite the same. It is basically where someone uses electronic communication media to harass you, threaten you, bully you or try their best to intimidate you, their victim.

The communication media that they might use can include email, websites, forums, newsgroups, instant messaging and anything else that is online.

You will know when you have someone cyber stalking you because they use a large variety of techniques to harass you or their other victims. You may find that you start receiving unwelcome and hostile or unwanted emails.

The key word is unwanted. If you feel uneasy about the contact somone is giving to you they may very well be stalking you online.

They may publish false information about you in chat rooms and forums. They have also been found to pose as victims in provocative and confrontational sessions online and in email messages with other people. They will also use MySpace and other online sites to harass their victims.

To get to their victims there are many times that physical stalkers become cyber stalkers. The internet makes it easier for stalkers to contact their victim in a lot of new ways.

This doesn't mean that you don't want to get online, it just means that you need to be careful when you are online. Always pay attention and watch what you are doing.

Putting personal information online in an unsecured area is a bad idea unless you are running an online business and want to be contacted. Even then that contact should always be in a professional manner realating to the business you offer.

One thing you need to be aware of is that the stalking starts online as cyber stalking, it can still turn into physical stalking. This means that you could start receiving unwanted and abusive phone calls frequently. You could experience vandalism, trespassing and maybe even a physical assault.

As you can see, the problem of cyber stalking is not uncommon and there are steps that can be taken to make your life a lost easier.