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Protect Your Internet Activity
Your
partner may have access to information about you through
your email records or through "cached" files, or
automatically saved webpages and graphics.
While you can't make your internet activities completely
private, you can take steps to make them safer. To
delete records of email and web travel history:
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In
your email program, look for a folder called "sent
mail" and delete any mail you don't want traced.
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On
the hard drive (C:\) locate the folder:
c\\windows\temporary internet files and delete any
relevant or all files.
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On
the hard drive locate the folder:
C:\\WINDOWS\Cookies and delete any relevant or
all files EXCEPT the
C:\\WINDOWS\Cookies\index.dat file.
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Finally, your web browser (the program you use to
surf the web or internet) sometimes keeps track of
recently visited websites. To find out if the
program does look at the box/space that you type in
the web address, at the right side of the box may be
an arrow down symbol (ò). If you click on the arrow
and a list of recently visited sites appears, you
may want to check out your browser's "help" index
for how to clear the history of your recent internet
travels. Here are some suggestions for commonly
used browser programs:
Netscape:
Pull down Edit menu and select Preferences. Click on
Navigator and choose "clear history." Click on Advanced
and select Cache. Click on "clear disk cache." Older
versions of Netscape: pull down Options menu. Select
Network Options, select Cache. Click on "clear disk
cache."
Internet Explorer:
Pull down View 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.
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This information may not completely hide your
internet activity. Consider using another computer
owned by a friend you trust, the local library, your
work computer.
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Finally, if an abuser sends you threatening or
harassing email messages they may be printed and
saved as evidence of this abuse. Additionally,
these messages may constitute a federal offense.
For more information on this issue, contact your
local United States Attorney's Office.
Information provided by the American Bar Association. |
