Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga

Everything you do online is recorded. Your computer stores hundreds of bits of information about everything you do, including information about which websites you’ve visited, your passwords, and what is in your emails. An abuser can easily track the websites you visit or read your email messages.

There is no way to completely cover your movements online. The information here can help you to cover your tracks online but the only way to be sure is to use a completely different computer, either at a local library, internet cafe, friend’s house or at work.

Deleting Your Browser History

If someone knows how to read your computer’s history or cache file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), they can see what you have been looking at on the internet.

The best way to hide what you have been looking at on the internet is to clear your history and your cache file. Look for your web browser in the list, click on the link and follow the instructions. If you use multiple web browsers you should make certain your clear the history on each browser.

Securing Your Email

You can help to keep your e-mail private by setting up a password so anyone who wants to read the e-mails will have to log in. When you choose a password, just make sure it is not one that can be easily guessed, such as your birthday or the name of a shared pet.

When you are setting up a log in or using your account, make sure you do not select the Save my password or Keep me logged in options (not having these options selected prevents people from accessing your e-mail using auto-logins).

Also, remember to log out of your e-mail accounts when you have finished your session.

If anyone sends you threatening or harassing e-mail messages, these messages may constitute a criminal offence. You can print and save these e-mails as evidence of this offence. For more information, contact the Police.

Google Chrome

Click the spanner icon in the browser toolbar. Select Tools. Select Clear browsing data. In the dialogue box that appears, select the Clear browsing history checkbox. Select how much you wish to clear or beginning of time to clear your entire browsing history. Click Clear browsing data. In the dialogue that appears, click Clear browsing history, Clear download history, Empty the cache, Delete cookies and other site data.

Safari

Click the Settings button in the upper-right corner of the browser window. Select Reset Safari… from the drop-down list. From here you can clear, delete or reset a lot of the website information that Safari stores. Click your cursor only in the box next to the items in the menu you want to delete, clear or reset. Click the Reset button when you are finished.

Firefox

Before visiting a website, use Firefox’s Private Browsing (similar to Internet Explorer’s InPrivate Browsing) which tells the browser not to remember anything you do from that point until you close the browser. This can be accessed by going to the Tools menu and selecting Start Private Browsing. If you have already started browsing, you can clear your history by: Going to the Tools menu. Select Clear Recent History. Under Time Range to Clear, select Everything. Make sure all checkbox items that have now appeared in the Details area are ticked. Click Clear Now.

Microsoft Edge

Look for the Tools option in the browser’s menu bar. By default, the menu may be hidden. If it is, press the Alt key on the keyboard to display the menu. In the Tools menu, select Internet Options. On the General page (usually the first page), under Browsing History, click Delete… Make sure the Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History checkboxes are ticked. Click Delete. For extra security, you can use Internet Explorer’s InPrivate Browsing before viewing a website. “InPrivate browsing” means that the browser will not remember anything you do from the point you start using it until you close the browser. Use InPrivate browsing by Pressing Ctrl + Shift + P

Internet Explorer

Look for the Tools option in the browser’s menu bar. By default, the menu may be hidden. If it is, press the Alt key on the keyboard to display the menu. In the Tools menu, select Internet Options. On the General page (usually the first page), under Browsing History, click Delete… Make sure the Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History checkboxes are ticked. Click Delete.

Opera

The fastest way to clear the history of your website visits in the browser Opera is: Select Tools from the top menu. Select Delete private data from the dropdown list. Make sure that the four Clear History entries are selected, and then click Delete.