Domestic violence

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

How an abuser can discover your internet activities

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 copied or saved and printed as evidence of this abuse.

History or cache files

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 as follows:

• Netscape:
  
  
  • Pull down Edit menu, select Preferences,
  • select Navigator and choose Clear History,
  • select Advanced then Cache,
  • choose Clear Disk Cache.
• On older versions of Netscape:
  
  
  • Pull down Options menu,
  • select Network Options,
  • select Cache,
  • choose Clear Disk Cache.
• Internet Explorer:
  
  
  • Pull down Tools menu,
  • select Internet Options,
  • on General page, under Temporary Internet Files , select Delete Files.
  • under History, select Clear History.
• AOL:
  
  
  • Pull down Members menu,
  • select Preferences,
  • select WWW icon,
  • then select Advanced, Purge Cache.
• Mozilla Firefox:
  
  
  • Pull down History menu,
  • select Show All History,
  • pull down Organise menu,
  • select Select All,
  • select Delete or press delete key.
• Google
  
  If you have set up the Google toolbar, you may have a search box in it that stores the search terms you have used. If you scroll to the bottom of the list, you can select the Clear history link to delete the list.

These steps may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types have features that display recently visited sites, particularly if you have typed them into the address bar. The safest way to find information on the internet could be at a local library, a friend's house or at work.

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