Stalking no longer has to be done in person - some of the most harmful and far-reaching damage can be done on a computer from hundreds of miles away.

Cyberstalking may not involve actual contact, but the amount of information available online about a victim's personal and professional life is staggering.

Popular cyberstalking techniques include, but are by no means limited to, online postings of photos, authentic or revised; distributing or altering personal information; creating Web sites about victims; enticing others to harass a victim.

For example, a 50-year-old security guard in California was angry when a 28-year-old woman rejected him romantically. He impersonated the victim on bulletin boards on the Internet, where he posted her name, address and phone number on messages that said she fantasized about being raped. On at least six occasions, men came to her house to rape her. The security guard pleaded guilty to stalking and solicitation of sexual assault and faces up to six years in prison.

Most cyberstalking authorities advise taking these precautions when you're online to discourage cyberstalking:

• Use free e-mail services that don't require you to provide your name and address (most Internet Service Providers make their membership directories publicly available).

• Select a genderless ID or screen name (instead of "foxylady" or "hotmama," use something like "jogger.")

• Use a complicated password of letters and numbers and change it often.

• Don't flirt online.

• Don't respond to online provocation.

• Don't give out identifying information in discussion groups or chat rooms - online conversations are archived and can be accessed by anyone.

• College students should not provide biographical information for free university e-mail services. [[In-content Ad]]