Topic: Security
Getting Rid of Internet Footprints on Your Computer
A Quick and Easy Way to Get Added Computer Privacy
The vast amount of personal information our computers contain can be quite overwhelming. If someone were to gain access to your computer, not only would they be able to check out all of your files, they would even be able to tell what websites you have visited and what you’ve been doing on the Internet. While that may not actually be an identity theft risk, it is a privacy issue. Luckily, there are ways to stop the average individual from gaining access to this information.
Keep Your Computer Clean
When I say that you should keep your computer clean, I don’t mean you should wipe down your monitor and use a keyboard brush. What I’m actually referring to is deleting files that act somewhat like footprints, allowing people to see where you’ve been and what you’ve done on your computer. If you want to reduce the risk of this happening, there are steps you need to take.
Cookies
First and foremost, get rid of your cookies. Exactly how you get rid of cookies on your computer will depend on the Internet browser you are using. People using Internet Explorer need to go into their Internet Options tool and click the “Delete Cookies” button found under the “General” tab.
Temporary Internet Files
After you’ve deleted the cookies on your system, get rid of your temporary Internet files. In Internet explorer, you do this by clicking the button that says “Delete Files” located next to the “Delete Cookies” button. You may also want to set your options so that your computer only keeps your history for one day. Usually the default setting is 20 days.
Other Browsers
If you are using a browser other than Internet explorer, visit the help files and look for instructions on how to delete cookies and temporary Internet files for that particular browser. There you should be able to find detailed instructions on how to do this for your system.
Once you’ve completed the above steps, you can rest assured that you’ve just provided yourself with a bit more privacy. While it may not seem like much, in this day and age every little bit helps.
Posted by Max Anderson on July 4, 2006 01:48 PM
