Is it safe for me to use email or the Internet to get help?

If someone has access to your email account, he or she may be able to read your mail. If you believe your account is secure, make sure you choose a password that he or she will not be able to guess. (For more information, please refer to the information below.) If someone knows how to access your computer's cache file (automatically saved web pages and graphics), he or she may be able to see information you have viewed recently on the Internet. Also, please be aware that there is software available that covertly monitors a computer's every keystroke, site viewed, and chat held via the Internet.

This page discusses how to safely use your email program and how to empty the history/cache files on your computer.

If someone who is abusive to you has access to your computer, you may want to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), TDD 1-800-787-3224 before emailing any organization.

Passwords

1. Often when you enter passwords in an email account or other accounts, the computer will ask you if you want it to remember the password. If you are concerned that your abuser may be trying to monitor your email activity, tell your computer NOT to remember your passwords. Tell it no by making sure the check box next to the question is not checked. If your computer is remembering your password, your password is being stored somewhere in the computer where your abuser may be able to find it.
2. Choose passwords that are difficult to guess. Do not write passwords down anywhere. Create passwords using a random assortment of letters, numbers and symbols (i.e. 1fr&3jk). If you must write something down, write a hint to help you remember it, but not the password itself.

Address Book

If you are concerned that your abuser may try to discover your email activity, do NOT enter sensitive information into your electronic address book. This includes email addresses of local shelters, advocates or other programs that you may have contacted for assistance. If you do maintain an electronic address book, containing the email addresses of friends and family, do NOT fill in fields such as personal address, phone number, organizational affiliation, etc.

If you are using Outlook Express or Outlook as a mail program, consider disabling the feature that automatically places the email address of someone you have replied to in your Address Book.

To disable this feature, Go to Outlook Express:

1. Click on Edit/Options/Send
2. Uncheck the box beside Automatically put people I reply to in my Address Book.

This will prevent your computer from placing the email addresses of those people you reply to in your Address Book.

Automatic Name Completion

Email programs often have a functioncalled automatic name completion, which automatically completes an email address when the first few letters are typed. This may provide your abuser with information about whom you have emailed. Keep in mind that this feature utilizes information that is stored in your electronic address book. While disabling the automatic name completion feature will prevent your abuser from easily discovering the recipients of your email, it will not prevent them from obtaining this information by examining your electronic address book.

Netscape Mail:

Follow this path to disable automatic name completion when entering an email address into a new message:

1. Click on Edit/Preferences/Mail & Newsgroups/Addressing
2. Uncheck the box beside Address Books.

This will prevent your computer from automatically entering email addresses into a new message.

Outlook - Follow this path to disable the automatic name completion feature when entering an email address in a new message:

1. Click on Edit/Options/Send
2. Uncheck the box beside Automatically complete e-mail addresses when composing.

This will prevent your computer from automatically entering email addresses into a new message.

Clearing Incoming and Outgoing Email

If you want to keep your incoming or outgoing email messages private consider changing the settings of your email program to ensure that all messages are cleared from the appropriate folders.

1. Avoid saving a copy of outgoing email in the Sent Items Folder. To change your email program settings, follow this path:

Netscape

1. Click on Edit/Preferences/Mail & Newsgroups/Copies and Folders
2. Unclick the box beside Place a Copy in Folder: 'Sent'.

This will prevent your computer from placing a copy of any outgoing mail in your Sent folder.

Outlook

1. Click on Edit/Options/Send
2. Unclick the box beside Save a copy of sent message in the 'Sent Items' folder.

This will prevent your computer from placing a copy of any outgoing mail in your Sent Items folder.

1. Be sure to delete incoming messages from your Inbox and also be sure to empty your 'Trash' or 'Deleted Items' folder before exiting your mail program.

If you are using Outlook Express or Outlook as a mail program, you might consider enabling the feature that will empty your messages from the 'Deleted Items' folder when you exit the mail program.

To enable this feature, follow this path:

Outlook Express:

1. Click on Edit/Options/Maintenance
2. Click on the box beside Empty messages from the 'Deleted Items' folder on exit.

This will ensure that your email program deletes all messages in the 'Deleted Items' folder.

WARNING - HOW AN ABUSER CAN DISCOVER YOUR INTERNET ACTIVITIES
 

• email: if someone has access to your email account, he or she may be able to read your incoming and outgoing mail. if you believe your account is secure, make sure you choose a password he or she will not be able to guess.
  
  If you receive threatening or harassing email messages, they should be printed and saved as evidence. Additionally, the messages may constitute a federal offense. For more information on this issue, contact your local United States Attorney's Office.
   
• history / cache file: if someone 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.*
  
  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 View 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.
  
  Additionally, a victim needs to make sure that the "Use Inline Auto complete" box is NOT checked. This function will complete a partial web address while typing a location in the address bar at the top of the browser.
  
  If you are using Internet Explorer, this box can be found on the MS Internet Explorer Page by clicking on the "View" icon at the top, then "Internet Options", and then the "Advanced" tab. About halfway down there is a "Use Auto complete" box that can be checked and unchecked by clicking on it.

* 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.

A special thanks for this safety information was adapted from VAWOR - Violence Against Women Online Resources www.vaw.umn.edu