Internet Safety
There
is
a 'Panic Button' on all the domestic violence pages on this website, this is in
case you need to
change from this page/site quickly. Clicking on the button will take you to www.google.co.uk. Please
note that any pages that you have visited on this website will still be included in your Internet Browser
history.
If
you're worried about someone knowing you have visited these web pages, the information
below will
help you increase your safety when using the Internet.
Safety Warning
There is no way to completely cover your movements online. The
information on this page can help you to
cover your tracks online to an extent, but the only way to be sure is to use a completely different
computer, either at a local library, Internet cafe, at a friend's house or at work.
Internet Browser
An abuser may able to read your computer's history or cache file.
A cache file automatically stores the web pages and images for the pages that you have visited on your
computer.
Important - It is possible to clear your history
or empty the cache file in your Internet browser's settings. However there is a risk involved in deleting
any data from your computer. For example, if your partner
uses online banking and has a saved password, then if you clear the cookies on your PC, your partner
will realise you've done so, because their password will no longer be saved. Your partner
may also notice if the Internet history on the PC has been cleared.
Please
Note: The exact instructions for clearing your temporary Internet files will depend on the software
version you are using.
Internet Explorer
- Go to the Tools menu (top of the screen).
- Select Internet Options.
- Click on Delete Files (under the Temporary Internet Files section).
- Click on Clear History (under the History section).
Firefox
- Go to the Tools menu.
- Select Clear Recent History.
- Select the details that you wish to delete.
Google Chrome
- Click the spanner icon spanner icon on the browser toolbar.
- Select Tools.
- Select Clear browsing data.
- In the dialogue that appears, select the "Clear browsing history" checkbox.
- Use the menu at the top to select the amount of data that you want to delete. Select beginning of time to clear your entire browsing history.
- Click Clear browsing data.
Private Browsing (Privacy Mode)
Private Browsing (name varies for different browsers)
prevents websites from saving any data about you which may leave a trail, such as cookies, history
or other browser data created or saved in that session. Your history for that session will also
be deleted when you close the window.
Private Browsing can usually be activated
in the Tools bar of your browser. This will open a new window, remember only to use
this window for your browsing session, and make sure you close it! Leaving this window open will make
it useless, and also alert others users of the computer that you are using that functionality.
An
abuser may have access to your email account, they may be able to read your incoming and outgoing mail.
If you believe your account is secure, make sure you choose a password that an abuser will not be able
to guess.
Be aware of how records of your emails can be accessed:
- All the e-mails you have previously sent will be saved in your sent items. These can be deleted if required.
- E-Mails that you have started, but not sent, will be saved in your drafts folder. These can be deleted if required.
- If you reply to an e-mail, the original e-mail message will probably be in the body of the message, delete the email if you don't want anyone to see your original message.
- When you delete an item in any email program (Outlook Express, Outlook, Thunderbird etc) it does not really delete the item - it moves the item to a folder called Deleted Items. You have to delete the items in Deleted Items to remove them completely
- If there's a risk that your abuser may know how to access your emails, it's a good idea to set up a new email account. Use a provider like Hotmail or Yahoo for an account you can access from anywhere, and use a name that is not recognisable as you. Keep this email secret.
Toolbars
Toolbars
such as Google or Yahoo keep a record of the search words you have typed into the toolbar search
box. In order to delete all the search words you have typed in, you will need to check the individual
instructions for each type of toolbar. For example, for the Google toolbar all you need to do is click
on the Google icon, and choose "Clear Search History".
Page Last Updated: 13 May 2013
