Your safety is our primary concern.

If you think your online activities are being monitored, they probably are. Abusive people are often controlling and want to know your every move. Please be aware of the following safety issues and related measures you can take to protect yourself if your abuser monitors your computer use.

• Computers can store a lot of private information about what you look at via the Internet, the emails and instant messages you send, internet-based phone and IP-TTY calls you make, web-based purchases and banking, and many other activities.
• You don’t need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor someone’s computer and Internet activities – anyone can do it and there are many ways to monitor with programs like Spyware, keystroke loggers and hacking tools.
• Spyware has become more sophisticated, so it's often difficult to tell if it's installed on a computer. You should be suspicious if your abuser has knowledge of your private online conversations or unexpectedly shows up at a location where you planned to be.
• If you think you may be monitored on your home computer, be careful how you use your computer since an abuser might become suspicious. Do not delete the spyware as it will tip-off the abuser that you aware of his reviewing your activities which could put you in danger. Also, the spyware may be useful as evidence of abuse in court.
• You may clear your history or empty your cache file in your browser's settings (see directions below).* But, it is not possible to delete or clear all the “footprints" of your computer or online activities. If you are being monitored, it may be dangerous to suddenly change your computer behaviors such as deleting your entire Internet history if that is not your regular habit.
• You may want to keep using the monitored computer for innocuous activities, like looking up the weather and use a safer computer (work, library, Cyber Café, etc.) to research an escape plan, look for new jobs or apartments, shelters, bus tickets, or ask for help.
• Email and Instant/Text Messaging (IM) are not safe or confidential ways to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life. If possible, please call a hotline instead. The Shelter for Abused Women & Children operates a 24-hour crisis line at 239-775-1101.
• If you use email or IM, please use a safer computer and an account your abuser does not know about. If you believe your account is secure, please make sure you use a password the abuser will not be able to guess. If an abuser sends you threatening or harassing email messages, they may be printed and saved as evidence of this abuse. Additionally, the messages may constitute a federal offense. For more information on this issue, contact your local United States Attorney's Office.
• It might be safer to use a computer in a public library, at a community technology center (CTC) www.ctcnet.org at a trusted friend’s house, or an Internet Café.

* You may clear your history or empty your cache file in your browser's settings.

History / Cache file: If an abuser knows how to read your computer's history or cache file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), they may be able to see information you have viewed recently on the internet.

Netscape:
Pull down Edit menu, select Preferences. Click on Navigator on choose 'Clear History.’ Click on Advanced, then select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache."
On older versions of Netscape: Pull down Options menu. Select Network Options, Select Cache. Click on "Clear Disk Cache."

Internet Explorer:
Pull down Tools 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.

*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 library, a friend's house, or at work.

Tips compiled from various sources, including the National Network to End Domestic Violence: www.nnedv.org