Covering Your Technology Tracks

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Covering Your Technology Tracks

Knowledge is power, and technology can offer a powerful tool when it comes to finding out information on domestic and family abuse. However, in this day and age, searching for information on your computer or mobile device can also be easily tracked. Here are some tips to help cover technology tracks, so that a potential abuser cannot access or track research that has been conducted by a victim:

The Web

* If you concerned about an abuser monitoring your internet activities, try and access the Web in areas other then your home. Use the computers at a local library to find the information you are looking for, or perhaps a friend’s house.

* If that is not an option, there are ways you can ‘clear’ the internet and website history on your computer. It deals with the ‘Cache’ and your internet’s ‘History List’: two things that you want deleted, to erase any research you have conducted. Here are some tips as it relates to specific web browsers:

o Internet Explorer: Head to Tools, and select Internet Options. You want to then select the General tab, and under Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files. Under History, select Clear History, and select the ‘OK’ button. o Google Chrome: Head to Tools, choose Clear Browsing Data. A separate page will come up, or a pop-up box. You then want to check off all the boxes of information to erase. Then, click the Clear Browsing Data button.

o Mozilla Firefox: Head to Tools, select Options, and then Privacy. You will then find the History Tab; select Clear Browsing History. Then find the Cookies tab, and select Clear Cookies. ***At the top, right-hand corner of this website, you will find an ‘Escape This Page’ button. Pressing it will remove you from the NSVS site, and will erase the web address from your internet history.

Passwords

Whether you are dealing with email, your computer’s log in, or cell phones: try and create passwords that are not easily identifiable with you. Try not to use birthdays, children’s names, or anything personal.

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices have technologies that make it easy for abusers to track their victim’s location and calls (i.e. GPS features, silent mode, or auto answer). Check the settings on your smartphone or cell. Think about turning these features off, or simply leaving your devices behind, if you plan on leaving a violent situation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]