How can an abuser discover your Internet activities?
Please take a few minutes to read the warning below and to take steps to increase your safety when using the internet and the Women’s Aid website.
Email
If an abuser has 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.
If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse.
History / cache file
If an abuser knows how to read your computer's history or cache file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), they may be able to see information you have viewed recently on the internet. You can clear your history or empty your cache file in your browser's settings.
Netscape
Pull down Edit menu, select Preferences. Click on Navigator choose 'Clear History'. Click on Advanced then select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache".
On older versions of Netscape: Pull down Options menu. Select Network Options, Select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache".
Internet Explorer
Pull down Tools menu, select Internet Options. On General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on "Delete Files". Under History click on "Clear History."
AOL
Pull down Members menu, select Preferences. Click on WWW icon. Then select Advanced. Purge Cache.
Forms
Many browsers are set up to remember form entries, which could be a problem if you use a search engine to find the site. For example, if someone searches for 'domestic violence' on a search engine this entry is remembered by the browser. The next time somebody performs a search for a word beginning with the letter 'd' in that search engine, the word 'domestic violence' will pop up as a suggested entry.
- In Internet Explorer you can get around this by clicking on Tools and selecting Internet Options.
- Click on Content, select Auto Complete and finally, Clear forms.
This information may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types have features that display recently visited sites. The safest way to find information on the internet, would be at a local library, a friend's house, or at work.
(This page about internet security was reproduced with the kind permission of Women’s Aid.)
