Internet Safety
Are you worried about someone knowing you have visited this website?
Computers store all the documents you work on and the addresses of all the websites you visit on the internet. It's impossible to completely delete this information. It is fairly easy for someone with even just a little computer know-how to access your computer files and history.
If you are worried someone is monitoring your online activities, here are some tips to help you stay safe online:
- Avoid using email, chats, messaging - or phone texting - to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life. Please call our helpline at 1-800-559-2927 instead. Avoid using your home computer for anything that might put you in danger or raise suspicion.
- If you want to look up important information, use a safe computer - at a library, a friend's house, a community college - one you're sure your abuser does not have access to. If you're planning to leave and go to your sister's home in Vermont, for instance, don't use your home computer to check the bus schedule.
- If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing e-mail messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of the abuse. The messages may constitute a criminal offense.
- If you're on MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking sites, think about removing your profile if you think your abuser will stalk or harass you that way. At least change your passwords and privacy settings.
- By all means, clear your history and empty your cache, but remember... you can never completely hide your tracks, so use a safe computer - or no computer - whenever possible.
Directions to Clear Your History
Mozilla Firefox
- Select the "Tools" menu
- Select "Options"
- Click the "Privacy" button
- Under "History" click the "Clear" or "Clear Now" button
Internet Explorer
To Clear all Internet Explorer History:
- Select "Tools"
- Select "Internet Options"
- Open the "General" tab.
- In "Browsing history" area click the "Delete" button
- In "Delete browsing history" window click "Delete all", and then click Yes
To clear only this website in Internet Explorer 7.0 history:
- Select "Tools"
- Select "Internet Options"
- Open the "General" tab
- In "Browsing history" area click the "Delete" button
- Click the Delete button next to the category of information you want to delete, click Yes, and then click Close
Safari
Go to the History drop down menu and select "Clear History"
Resources
Information provided by Spruce Run. For more on this topic, visit MCEDV's information about being safe using email and the world wide web and WiredSafety.