If you’re a business owner from an underrepresented group (women or LGBTQ business owners, for example), chances are you’ve already run into the dark underbelly of the internet: harassment. From snide comments on Instagram to coordinated pile-ons to outright denial of service attacks, trolls love to target people who dare to show up confidently as themselves—especially if you’re running a business.

Harassment isn’t your fault. I want to be clear about that. It’s not because you “invited” it, or because you weren’t tough enough, or because you dared to have opinions online. It happens because people choose to harass. Period.

You are not powerless. You can take steps to protect yourself, your business, and your peace of mind. In this post, we’ll cover what online harassment looks like, how to respond depending on the severity, when to get help, and—just as importantly—how to take care of yourself while navigating it.

What Online Harassment Can Look Like

Online harassment is a spectrum. Sometimes it’s “just” annoying. Sometimes it’s scary. Sometimes it’s downright dangerous. Knowing the types can help you spot them early:

• Mild harassment: Snide comments, dismissive emojis, or “just asking questions” that are really digs. Annoying, but usually not worth your energy. (For example, one of my first comments when I started posting security stuff on Facebook was some random guy telling me to go play in traffic.)

• Escalated harassment: Coordinated attacks, fake one-star reviews, impersonation accounts. This isn’t one troll—it’s a group trying to damage your business reputation or overwhelm you. (I've seen people post some allegation out of spite in Facebook groups and encourage people to leave one-star reviews.)

• Identity-based harassment: Misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, racist, or ableist attacks. These are designed to silence and intimidate you for who you are, not what you do. These can include comments, DMs, emails, even nonconsensual image-based abuse (such as making deepfake porn from a photo of you).

• Business-specific harassment: Harassing your staff, spamming your business accounts, or filing false claims about your products or services. This is where several forms of cyber attacks fall: attackers can flood your website until it crashes to prevent real customers from using it, break into your business email to send damaging content in your name, flood your contact form with junk submissions to waste your time and make your site unusable, report your social accounts to disrupt your online presence, harass your employees or vendors to scare them away to isolate you, etc.

Harassment can come in waves. It might be one mean comment one day, then 50 hateful DMs the next. Recognizing the pattern is key—because your response strategy changes depending on the level.

The Levels of Harassment and How to Respond

Think of harassment like a fire. Not every spark needs the fire department, but you also don’t want to ignore the smoke until it’s a five-alarm blaze.

a) Low-Level (Annoying but Not Dangerous)

Examples: rude comments, dismissive DMs, trolling behavior.
What to do:

• Don’t feed the trolls. Responding usually gives them what they want: attention.

• Use moderation tools. Block keywords, filter comments, and turn on comment approval if needed.

• Document quietly. Screenshot and save in a folder. You might never need it—but if things escalate, you’ll be glad you have a record.

b) Moderate-Level (Coordinated or Repeated Attacks)

Examples: pile-ons, impersonation, review bombing, repeated harassing messages.
What to do:

• Document everything. Dates, usernames, web addresses, screenshots.

• Report to the platform. Use abuse/report tools. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

• Lean on your policies. Post clear comment guidelines and remove violators without apology.

• Ask for backup. Have trusted peers or team members help monitor accounts and report. Harassment thrives in isolation; don’t go it alone.

c) High-Level (Threats, Doxxing, Stalking)

Examples: publishing your home address, credible threats, hacking attempts.
What to do:

• Stop engaging immediately. No witty clapback is worth your safety.

• Document, document, document. Treat this like evidence. It is.

• Get professional help. Contact a lawyer or digital security expert. Consider services that remove your personal info from data brokers.

• Involve law enforcement. If threats feel credible, or if your physical safety is at risk, call the police. Even if you’re not sure, it’s better to over-report than under-report.

When to Get Help

There’s no shame in calling for backup—digital or otherwise.

• Professional support: Cybersecurity pros can help lock down accounts, audit your digital footprint, and remove personal info from public databases. Lawyers can draft cease & desist letters or help pursue legal action. A review mediator can help resolve fake reviews.

• Platform escalation: Sometimes you need to push past basic reporting tools. Many platforms have “escalation” or “trusted flagger” pathways for serious cases.

• Community support: Trusted friends, colleagues, or advocacy groups can help monitor your accounts, so you’re not alone in the firestorm.

• Emergency support: If there’s a credible threat to your physical safety, call the police (or 911 if danger is imminent). Note that advocacy organizations can help navigate the relationship with law enforcement if direct contact doesn't feel safe. Many of these organizations provide peer-led, survivor-centered support that prioritizes consent and safety first. Your safety is not negotiable.

Taking Care of Yourself While Handling Harassment

Harassment isn’t just digital. It hits your nervous system. It can activate old wounds and make you feel unsafe, even when the threat is “just online.”

Here’s how to protect your mental and emotional wellbeing:

• Permission to log off. You do not have to be endlessly available. Stepping back is not “letting them win”—it’s protecting your peace.

• Create distance. Ask a trusted friend or team member to filter messages so you don’t have to see every hateful word.

• Ground yourself. Breathe. Touch something solid. Remind yourself: “This is about them, not me.”

• Set boundaries. Check accounts at scheduled times instead of doomscrolling.

• Build resilience routines. Journal, meditate, walk, talk to a therapist, or connect with supportive communities who “get it.”

And here’s the most important part: feeling shaken is valid. Harassment is exhausting. Even if you “know better,” even if you’re “used to it,” your body still registers stress. You’re allowed to care for yourself like you’ve been through something real—because you have.

Preventive Measures to Reduce Exposure

While you can’t prevent harassment completely, you can make it harder for trolls to reach you:

• Audit your digital footprint. Search your own name. What personal info is public? Lock down addresses, phone numbers, or domains that link back to your home.

• Secure your accounts. Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor authentication everywhere. Back up recovery codes offline.

• Separate business and personal. Different emails, phone numbers, and even devices if possible. Don’t give trolls an easy bridge to your personal life.

• Set house rules. Publish a clear “community guidelines” post on your platforms. That way, when you remove comments or block someone, it’s enforcement, not censorship.

Resources and Support

You don’t have to build your anti-harassment toolkit from scratch. There are organizations and resources built for this:

• PEN America’s Online Harassment Field Manual – step-by-step guidance for responding.

• Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) – tools for protecting your digital rights.

• The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative – resources for image-based abuse.

• Equality Labs – digital security and doxxing defense training for marginalized South Asian communities.

• Trans Lifeline – peer support hotline run by and for trans people. They don’t call police without consent.

• LGBT National Help Center – peer support lines and chat for all ages, including specialized support for seniors and youth.

• GLAAD & Media Matters – advocacy support when harassment intersects with public visibility or media targeting.

• Local LGBTQ centers – many offer victim advocacy services and can connect you to legal aid or safety planning without involving law enforcement unless you choose.

• Data removal services (DeleteMe, Incogni, etc.) – to help reduce doxxing risk.

• Review management services (The Review Mediator, for example) — to get fake or damaging business reviews removed.

• Mental health support – consider therapists who specialize in trauma and digital harms.

• Business protections – cyber insurance or liability coverage that includes harassment and reputational harm.

• For your team – make sure employees know they’re supported if harassment spills into their inboxes or DMs.

Conclusion

Online harassment is real, and it’s disproportionately aimed at underrepresented groups such as women and LGBTQ business owners. But here’s what I want you to remember: harassment isn’t a reflection of your worth or the value of your business. It’s a reflection of the harasser’s fear, insecurity, and hate.

You can’t control whether trolls show up—but you can control your response, your boundaries, and your self-care. Document what happens. Escalate when needed. Call in support. And above all, protect your peace.

Your business deserves to thrive. You deserve to thrive.

If you do one thing today, start a one-page harassment response plan: decide how you’ll document (We'll screenshot and save to this folder in Google Drive, for example), who you’ll call for help (I'll call my managed security services provider and my lawyer), and how you’ll take care of yourself (I will put do not disturb on and have so-and-so monitor the account when I need a break). Use the checklist below. That way, if the fire sparks, you’ll already have the extinguisher ready.

Stay safe, stay unapologetic. The trolls don’t get to win.

🛡️ Harassment Response Checklist for Small Business Owners

Use this quick guide when online harassment shows up.

Pause & Ground Yourself

• Take a breath before reacting.

• Remind yourself: “This is about them, not me.”

• Decide if you need to step away before responding.

Identify the Level

🔹 Low-Level – Annoying comments, trolling.
🔹 Moderate-Level – Coordinated pile-ons, fake reviews, impersonation.
🔹 High-Level – Threats, doxxing, stalking.

Take Action

Low-Level

• Don’t engage.

• Block/filter/report.

• Screenshot and save in a folder.

Moderate-Level

• Document everything (screenshots, usernames, dates).

• Report to the platform.

• Enforce your business/community rules.

• Ask a trusted peer or team member for backup monitoring.

High-Level

• Stop engaging.

• Document every detail.

• Contact a lawyer or digital security expert.

• Call law enforcement if threats are credible.

Protect Yourself

• Audit your digital footprint: remove personal info.

• Use strong, unique passwords + 2FA.

• Keep business and personal accounts separate.

• Post clear community guidelines for your platforms.

Care for Your Wellbeing

• Limit how often you check accounts.

• Ask a trusted friend to filter messages.

• Use grounding practices: journaling, movement, therapy.

• Allow yourself rest—it’s valid to feel shaken.

Know Your Resources

• Make a list from the resources listed above (including phone and email so you don't have to hunt in a crisis) and other resources you discover (I'd love for you to send them to me for awareness).

✅ Pro tip: Create a “response buddy system”—someone you can text when harassment flares up, so you’re never dealing with it alone.