Internet Safety

Please take a few minutes to read the warning below and to take steps to increase your security when using the internet.

E-mail:
If an abuser has access to your computer, and your email is based there (ie. in a program like Outlook Express or Eudora) they may be able to read your incoming and outgoing mail. For greater security, you can obtain a free email account from Yahoo or Hotmail. If you do so, be sure to choose a secure password (using both letters and numbers) that an abuser will not be able to guess.

If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing e-mail messages, don't delete them. They may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse.

Browser history/cache:
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 and empty your cache file in your browser's settings:

Netscape:
Pull down Edit menu, select Preferences. Click on Navigator and 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".

AOL:
Pull down Members menu, select Preferences. Click on WWW icon. Then select Advanced. Purge Cache.

Internet Explorer (Windows):
Pull down Tools menu, select Internet Options. On General page, under Temporary Internet Files, click on "Delete Files". Under History click on "Clear History."

Firefox (Windows/Mac):
In Preferences, select the Privacy tab. Choose History, then press the Clear History Now button. Choose Cache, then press the Clear Cache Now button.

Internet Explorer (Mac):
Choose "Preferences..." from the Edit menu (OS 9) or the Internet Explorer menu (OS X). Choose "Advanced". Click "Clear History" and "Empty Cache".

Safari (Mac):
Choose "Reset Safari..." from the Safari menu to clear both the cache and the history. In the version of Safari supplied with Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and higher, you can also turn on "Private Browsing" from the Safari menu to ensure your privacy.

This information may not completely hide your tracks, and the safest way to find information on the internet is at a local library, a friend's house, or at work.