Risk Assessment

Why would you want to think about a risk assessment? Because it will help you determine how many measures you want to take to protect yourself.

Remember that Internet security is an ongoing process. It's much more about awareness than technical knowledge.

In what degree you want to protect yourself

There is a declining support for sex work, the stigma has increased. This is mainly due to the confusion with human trafficking. At the same time, there is more transparency in the digital society and you can be found faster, as a person and as a sex worker.

There are sex workers who are eager to fight the stigma by being completely open about it, using their real names and getting into the media. Brave! And it offers a certain protection, you can't be 'outed' or blackmailed anymore. Furthermore there are sex workers who select to whom they are open about their sex work and finally there are sex workers who lead a very strict double life. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

Against which you want to protect yourself

It can be a very individual mix of factors that you want to protect yourself against. You can think of the Government, which wants to know everything about you and has ramshackle ICT. Or the superpowers with a huge data hunger, like Google and Facebook. But more likely you want to keep your work hidden from certain family, friends/acquaintances or neighbors. Or are you babysitting clients who could potentially become very annoying. Or do you have a nasty ex who could start stalking you. Or even more annoying, that you don't know what angle a stalker is coming from.

What are the consequences if things go wrong

For sex workers, the consequences can be very drastic. You can lose family or friends. You may lose your job or career opportunities, or lose your home, or lose custody of your child. Sex workers can also experience emotional consequences.

How likely is it that things will go wrong

It is difficult to estimate how big that chance is. After all, a small risk can have major consequences. A large chance doesn't have to bother you at all.

How much effort are you willing to put into reducing risks

Without effort, it will not work. It takes discipline. It sometimes results in less convenience.

Be resilient!

Digital resilience is like taking physical resilience classes or protecting yourself from STIs with condoms and regular STI testing. You may not always feel like it, but "better safe than sorry. Prevention is everything.

You can never be completely invisible again, that time is over, because you will always leave digital traces. You can make it much harder for them, though!