Building Cyberbullying Resilience
Learnings from my Online Bullying Experience
Consider purchasing a cyber insurance and evaluate the cost of backing up & recovering your files. Install protecting software, and VPN, and mark fake emails as "phishing"/"spam" as required.
Once you realize that you have been hacked, make a public statement to inform people that your accounts have been compromised and immediately change & strengthen your passwords, if possible, with 2-factor authentication.
Contact a lawyer specialized in cyberbullying/cyber security and consider legal procedure if you can identify the bullying source. Document all bullying encounters with screenshots, video/voice recordings, and dates to support your case.
Do not give in to the bully's demands. Your mental health and safety is the most important.
Report & block all fake accounts that try to contact you. Learn to identify fake accounts, even when they look legit.
Limit all contact with the bully, especially if you are emotionally impacted. Simply block those bullying sources.
Take a moment to meditate, calm down, and build a plan to move forward with your life in the medium and long term; in awareness that personal information has been compromised. Try to answer these questions: What would be the worst-case scenario? How would I react if that ever happened?
Expose the actions of the bully and seek the support of your close network for mental and emotional care.
Maintain a professional public presence and continuously share progress about your career. Highlight your commitment to improving your situation and contributing to the growth of your network & society in general.
Consider holding a TEDx talk about your experience to raise awareness.
Be careful moving forward about where you click and where you insert your information online.
And, don't worry, you will get out of this situation. Everything will be alright!