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Our Online Defamation Attorneys Help You Take Back Your Reputation
Skilled counsel for individuals and business owners facing cyber attacks and internet defamation.
In today’s online world, a company – or a person – can be unmade by a bad review. Hackers and bots can steal your information, spread rumors and falsehoods about you online, and then force you to pay thousands to have it removed. It is a long, grueling process, and an unfair one, too: after all, why should you have to pay money to “clean” your online reputation for acts you did not commit?
We understand how damaging these falsehoods can be. We believe that you have a right to privacy, and that those who would extort you should be held accountable.
What you should know about hackers and cyber attacks
Security is a crucial component to any successful business, and almost every successful business leaves some type of online trail: advertising, emails, cloud storage, and so on. When you face a cyber attack, this information becomes vulnerable to the outside world.
When a “hacker” purposely interrupts a person’s business, steals private, protected information (like health records, trade secrets, personal photos, etc.), and then attempts to sell that information or extort the owner of that information for money, he or she stops being a hacker and becomes a criminal. If you have been extorted in such a way our firm may be able to help.
Protecting you against online defamation
One bad review can do serious damage. The best response to a bad review is an honest and timely response: explain your side clearly and politely, and apologize (if warranted) to a customer who had a bad experience. But what can you do if these reviews are based on falsehoods, or when that same bad review suddenly appears on multiple sites, or when people start spreading that review around?
You can call us. We can assist you with a wide array of online-defamation defense and reputation management services, including but not limited to the removal of:
- Confidential and proprietary information
- Profiles created without your knowledge or consent
- Sensitive or personal information from online databases, or from revenge-based sites
- Counterfeit products, advertised as the “real thing,” from online shops
- Damaging, false and unwanted information from social media site, blogs, message boards, etc.
- Spam reviews
- Reviews on rating websites or consumer complaint sites
If you have already requested that information about you be removed, or have tried reasoning with content curators, site owners and ISPs to no avail, we are prepared to help you protect your identity, your products and your reputation. If you choose to pursue litigation, we will seek a valid court order to present to search engines (for de-indexing) and site owners (for removal), to ensure that the content is taken down from view.
Complications arising from anonymous posts
They say you can be anyone you want on the internet. That may be true – but the people who post anonymous, defamatory content, photos and reviews will not stay hidden for long. We investigate the digital footprint your attackers leave, to get to the root of the attack. If the original defamer cannot be identified, even after an in-depth investigation, we can file a motion for service by publication, and file for a default judgment.
Dealing with online harassment and cyberbullying
One of the primary goals of any bully – in real life or online – is to humiliate his or her target. A mean-spirited Facebook comment is not an example of cyberbullying – but a long-term, systemic attack on you, your personal life, your company, or your reputation (or any combination of all those things) is.
Our experienced employment law attorneys give us a unique perspective into cyberbullying and harassment. We know when such actions infringe on your civil rights, when they affect your ability to perform your job duties, and when they cross into actionable criminal conduct. Our team is equipped to handle harassment cases involving:
- Sexual harassment
- Hate crimes
- Death threats
- Threats of physical or sexual abuse
- Stalking
Remember that “hate speech” may in some cases be protected speech – but threats of violence, retaliation and abuse are not. If you or your business is under attack, we can pursue civil action for defamation, libel, invasion of privacy and threats, depending on your case.
The lawyers at Gertsburg Licata have protected countless clients in Cleveland and throughout Ohio when their businesses have come under attack in the real world. You can trust us to help protect you online, too.
Let us protect your reputation and your future
We offer affordable legal counsel and creative strategies that protect your best interests. If you have been the victim of a cyber attack, or are being defamed online, we can help. Please call (216) 573-6000 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment with our legal team.
Meet our online defamation experts
