Internet Safety Information
Your Internet activity may not be totally secure
Legal Aid of North Carolina will keep all your communications with us
confidential. However, there are ways that an abuser can access your
E-mail and also find out where you have been on the internet. If your abuser
knows computers well, you might not be able to hide all your tracks.
Please read this page to learn about some of the ways to protect yourself.
If you are worried about this, you can go to a public terminal at a library or
community center.
You may also call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE
(7233) or (TTY) 1-800-787-3224. This Hotline service is charged to help you find
the help you need through the telephone.
E-MAIL
If an abuser has access to your email account, he or she may be able to read
your incoming and outgoing mail. Be sure to check your "Sent Mail" folder
and delete any messages you do not want your abuser to see. If you believe your
account is secure, make sure you choose a password he or she will not be able to
guess.
If you send an E-mail from a computer you share with someone, make sure that
when you click on an email link, the return address on the E-mail is yours.
If you are not sure about the return address, it is safer to write an E-mail
directly from your account as you usually do and then copy and paste (or type)
our email address into the address line.
If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing E-mail messages, they may be
printed and saved as evidence of this abuse. Additionally, the messages may
constitute a state or federal offense. For more information on this issue,
contact the District Attorney in your county or your local United States
Attorney's Office.
HISTORY/CACHE FILES
If an abuser knows how to read your computer's history or cache file
(automatically saved web pages and graphics), he or she 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. Here's how:
Netscape: Pulldown EDIT menu, select PREFERENCES. Click on
NAVIGATOR and choose 'CLEAR HISTORY'. Click on Advanced then select Cache.
Click on "CLEAR DISK CACHE".
On older versions of Netcape: Pulldown OPTIONS menu. Select NETWORK OPTIONS,
Select CACHE. Click on "CLEAR DISK CACHE".
Additionally, make sure that the "USE INLINE AUTOCOMPLETE" box is NOT checked.
(If checked, this function will complete a partial web address while typing a
location in the address bar at the top of the browser.)
Internet Explorer: Open the TOOLS menu, choose INTERNET
OPTIONS, then choose the GENERAL tab at the top. In the section called
"Temporary Internet Files," click on "Delete Files" to clear your cache. On the
same screen, in the section called "History," click on the "Clear History"
button to erase your history list. In Internet Explorer, clearing the cache and
history will automatically clear the address bar on your browser.
Additionally, make sure that the "USE INLINE AUTOCOMPLETE" box is NOT checked.
(If checked, this function will complete a partial web address while typing a
location in the address bar at the top of the browser.) Click on the "TOOLS"
icon at the top of your Internet Explorer Page, then click on "INTERNET
OPTIONS", and then click on the "ADVANCED" tab. About halfway down there is a
"USE AUTOCOMPLETE" box that can be checked and unchecked by clicking on it. Make
sure it is unchecked
AOL: Pulldown MEMBERS menu, select PREFERENCES. Click on
WWW icon. Then select ADVANCED. Click on PURGE CACHE.
Additionally, make sure that the "USE INLINE AUTOCOMPLETE" box is NOT
checked. (If checked, this function will complete a partial web address while
typing a location in the address bar at the top of the browser.)
TEMP FILES
In some cases, your computer will automatically save certain pages in your
TEMP folder, which is usually located at c://temp or c://windows/temp. If
you view any forms or other PDF files, these will probably be stored in this
folder. Be sure to go to this folder and delete any files you do not want
your abuser to know you viewed. Sometimes these files are automatically deleted
when you turn off and re-start your computer.
NOTE: This information may not completely hide your tracks. Many browser types
have features that display recently visited sites. The safest way to find
information on the internet, would be at a local domestic violence agency, a
local library, a community center, a friend's house, or at work.
If you are concerned for your safety, call the National Domestic
Violence Hotline: 1-800-779-SAFE (7233) or (TTY) 1-800-787-3224
(Click on the "Back" button on your browser to return to the page you were
viewing.)
Note: The materials contained on this website are for information and
educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact
your Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to
speak to an attorney regarding your particular situation. Please see the
disclaimer.
Disclaimer
The materials contained on this website are for information and educational
purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact your
Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to
an attorney regarding your particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.