PHISHING, trolling and web bugs may sound like fishing trip experiences but, if you come across them, they signal trouble - online, that is.

The Internet has definitely changed the way we do things; it has improved our lives. However, nothing is without its pitfalls, and cyberspace is no exception.

Phishing refers to Internet scams whereby e-mails are sent purportedly from banks or other companies, asking users for sensitive personal information, which are then used in identity thefts.

Trolling is when someone uses specific phrases in a chat group to "bait" and target people who respond in a certain way.

Web bugs are tiny image files that contain programmes that install themselves undetected on your computer and transfer information back to the source.

Other dangers include cyber-stalking, extortion and harassment.

It appears that women tend to face more of such threats. This was disclosed during a recent Safety Bytes Coffee Session hosted by software solution provider Symantec Malaysia.

Women go online to engage in a host of activities - obtain information, do research, chat, blog, e-mail or shop. They are also more likely than men to start and maintain personal blogs as forums of self-expression or to highlight specific causes.

Social networking and online dating are also popular with women, activities which also easily expose them to sexual harassment and other forms of threat.

According to the US Department of Justice, one in 12 women will be victims of cyber stalking in their lifetime.

A 2006 University of Maryland study on chat rooms found that female participants received 25 times as many sexually explicit and malicious messages as males.

In March 2007, software and game developer Kathy Sierra received derogatory remarks and death threats on her technology blog, Creating Passionate Users, which she co-authors.

The final straw came when a photo-shopped image of Sierra next to a noose was published on another website. She suspended her blog after that.

Sierra told BBC that she believed the campaign against her was more likely because she was a woman in the male-dominated technology world.

Many women use pseudonyms in their blogs as a way of protecting themselves. However, as long as a name is female-sounding, women bloggers are still easy targets.

With photo-sharing and picture uploads being another popular online practice these days, women are also open to sexist remarks or other forms of abuse or misrepresentation.

In Malaysia last month, it was reported that a woman who had posted her photograph in Friendster two years ago found that another woman used that picture to introduce herself to a man online and later extort him.

Effendy Ibrahim, Norton Business Lead, Asia South Region from Symantec, said the Internet seems to be more popular with women worldwide.

"The Internet provides an avenue to exchange concerns, opinions and perceptions using new technology. Also, women have longer attention spans," said Effendy, who moderated the Safety Bytes session.

Guest speaker at the session, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, admitted to being one of those "mad Internet users" who is constantly on e-mail, Skype or Facebook.

Marina also maintains a blog (rantingsbymm.blogspot.com), performs online banking and chats or e-mails using her Blackberry.

"I guess I'm very much into the online world, which really suits me and what I do very well," said Marina, who has been blogging for 16 months.

However, being a public figure by virtue of what she does and who she is, she shared that she tends to receive unpleasant messages online.

"People have sent nasty comments directed at me as an indirect target. (In the past) I also became collateral damage depending on the political climate out there," said Marina.

Once, she had a cyber stalker who sent her weird, nonsensical e-mail.

"I chose not to respond to the e-mail messages," she said, adding that responding was a form of engaging the sender.

"My e-mail does not have my name so they cannot really confirm that it is me," she said.

Later, the stalker also got hold of her office telephone and fax number.

"Fortunately, I didn't pick up the calls directly. However, I never really felt threatened because I knew he was harmless," she said.

Marina is also on Facebook, one of the latest social networking sites.

"Facebook is a really interesting phenomenon. Among other things, it creates communities around particular causes," she said.

However, to protect herself from being a target of hate mail or other threats, she sets her Facebook account on very high privacy levels. Marina added that her daughter also has a blog; to protect her privacy, people can only view it by invitation only.

"Sometimes, users post up profiles, which may contain very private information, without realising that it goes out to all their friends," said Marina, who has about 200 friends in Facebook.

Effendy said, "Privacy settings are probably the last thing that people think of on Facebook."

He also cautioned people against carrying out online transactions in Wifi settings as users would be susceptible to info theft.

"And if you have very important and private data, save them on external hard discs or CDs, not on your PC's main (C) drive."

Online safeguards

ACCORDING to the Malaysian Household Use of The Internet Survey 2006 conducted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), women comprise 47% of home Internet users.

The survey found that as of September 2006, there were 13.5mil Internet users in the country. The top five activities on the Internet were getting information (84.5%), communication by text (e-mail, chat room, instant messaging: 80.7%), leisure in the form of music, video or games (52.6%), formal or informal education (45.9%), and financial activities such as e-banking (23.6%).

From the study, it was found that 86.6% expressed varying degrees of concern about online security, including concerns like identity thefts, spam, viruses, worms and trojans.

Here are some safety tips:

1. Set security features on your browser.

2. Protect your password.

3. Secure your wireless network.

4. Protect your own data.

5. Watch out for social engineering (non-technical methods of getting personal information from someone).

6. Update your tech knowledge.

7. Use common sense in safe Internet practices at all times.