New technologies and cyberstalking: Swatting as an example
This paper focuses on the internet phenomenon known as swatting, which has existed in the United States for over fifteen years but only recently appeared in Europe. Often described by its perpetrators – online gamers – as a “hoax” or a “phone prank”, swatting can have dramatic consequences, as demonstrated by a case in Wichita, Kansas, in December 2017, in which a man was killed during the event. The aim of this paper is to define what is swatting, what are its implications for security, what are the risks and issues it poses, and what types of behavior it includes.