Internet and email safety

Warning — if you are in danger, do not use a computer that your abuser has direct or remote (hacking) access to. Computer use can be monitored and it is difficult to completely erase what sites you have visited or what emails you have sent. It may be best to use a computer at the public library, a trusted friend’s house or at your workplace.

Please note that taking all of the actions on this page may still not prevent an abuser from discovering your email and Internet activity. For your safety choose a safer computer, preferably not one in your home.

If you are using an Internet browser other than those shown here, be sure to learn how to clear your browsing history, clear your cache, and turn on private browsing before surfing on to the Internet.

Clearing your Internet browsing history:

To cover your computer tracks you need to clear your computer’s history and cache (automatically saved web pages and graphics). Remember to complete this procedure each time you use the Internet prior to logging off. You can clear your history or empty your cache file in your brower's settings:

• For Microsoft Internet Explorer: Click on Tools or Safety, click on Delete Browsing History Options, click on the boxes by the options you want to clear, and hten click Delete.
• For Google Chrome: Click on the wrench icon, then click History.  Check Edit items... and click Clear all browsing history. Select the time period from the drop-down list by Obliterate the following items from: and then click Clear Browsing Data.
• For Firefox: Click on Tools, then click on Clear Recent History.  Under Time range to clear: select Everything, check the boxes by the options you want to clear and click Clear Now.
  
• For Safari: Click on the wheel icon, then click Reset Safari.  Check all items and click Reset.

Newer versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox allow for Private Browsing sessions. In a Private Browsing session, Firefox won't keep any browser history, search history, download history, web form history, cookies, or temporary Internet files.  However, files you download and bookmarks you make will be kept.

Using Private Browsing:

• For Microsoft Internet Explorer 8: Click on Tools or Safety, then click on InPrivate Browsing.
• For Google Chrome: Click on the wrench icon, then click on New Incognito Window.
• For Firefox 3.5 and newer: Click on Tools, then click on Start Private Browsing, click OK.
• For Safari 2.0 and newer: Click on the wheel icon, then click on Private Browsing, click OK.

**Please note that Silverlight, Flash versions less than 10.1, and other plugin applications still put information on the computer even in private browsing mode.  Flash 10.1 supports private browsing on Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer.

Email security:

Choose a password your abuser will not be able to guess so that he/she cannot access your email. Do not pick obvious words or numbers for your password, and always use a combination of letters and numbers for your password. Change your password often.