Cover Your Tracks on the Internet
By Greg Melton - Posted Jun 25, 2002
Using the Internet in public places like schools, libraries, or Internet cafes presents the perfect opportunity check your email or bank account information when you're on the road. But, if you don't have the option of installing SurfSafe wherever you go, you may leave critical data behind that could allow someone to access your accounts.
Windows has a few built-in features that are supposed to be productivity boosters, and by all accounts they are. How many times have you used AutoComplete to fill in a form or Web address?
Well, if you're not paying attention while you're using a computer in a public place, AutoComplete, cookies, history, and the Windows temp file may come back to haunt you unless you learn how to cover your tracks on the Internet.
AutoComplete Forms and Passwords
The first thing you should do before logging on to check your email or bank account at a public computer is to turn off AutoComplete Forms and Passwords. This way, if you happen to use a popular, free Web-based email account, your login and password won't stick around after you've logged off the computer.
Another thing to note is that Windows will prompt you to remember form passwords (only if it's configured correctly), and unless you're paying attention, you may hit "yes" instead of "no."
To turn off AutoComplete in Internet Explorer, follow these directions:
- Open Internet Explorer.
- Choose Tools, then Internet Options.
- Select the Content tab.
- Click the AutoComplete button.
- Make sure all the checkmarks are removed next to the text labeled "Web addresses," "Forms," "User names and passwords on forms."
- Click both the "Clear Forms" and "Clear Passwords" buttons.
- Click OK and then click OK again to save your changes.
Cookies, temp file, and history
The next step to covering your tracks on the Internet needs to occur directly after you've decided your Internet session is finished. This involves clearing the cookies, temp, and history folders. If you don't know what cookies are, this story, written by "Screen Savers" co-host Leo Laporte, will tell you everything you need to know. The temp folder or cache is where media files and webpages are stored after you've requested them.
Every webpage you request is sent directly to your temp folder or cache, where it sits until you need to access it again or it gets over written. Because the webpage is already on your computer, you won't have to wait for all the graphics associated with a particular webpage to download.
The history folder records every Web address you've ever visited during a set period of time. Unless you clear the history before you leave your computer, all those Web addresses you just visited will remain in the computer.
Clearing these three settings isn't hard. In fact, they all appear on the same tab in the Internet Options dialog box. To clear these setting follow these instructions:
- Open Internet Explorer.
- Choose Tools, then Internet Options.
- You should now be on the General tab.
- Under Temporary Internet files, click the "Delete Cookies" button and then click the "Delete Files" button to erase the entire temp folder.
- Next, under History click "Delete History."
- Click OK.
For more tips on how to manage your cookies, read this article by Megan Morrone of "The Screen Savers."
TweakUI
Find out how you can use TweakUI to protect your privacy even further.
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