Shared Computers
Most of us access the Internet from different locations -- a friend's house to check email, an Internet café to check a stock quote, or the library to research a term paper. Sharing a computer is a great convenience, but you must take extra precautions to safeguard your personal information.
- Never leave your computer unattended while you are signed in. Someone could approach your computer and easily access your account information.
- Always sign out completely. If you use a public or shared computer, it's especially important to always sign out completely by clicking the "Sign Out" link
- Clear your browser's cache. Your browser's cache contains copies of the web pages you have recently visited and stores these files on your hard drive. Clearing your cache is a simple process. Learn how.
- Know the risks. Some shared computers allow you to install software on them, making them vulnerable to virus attacks or malicious programs such as keystroke logging programs. If you have any concerns about the security of a shared computer, don't hesitate to ask the administrator about the steps they've take to protect their computers
How do I clear my browser's cache?
If your browser hangs or freezes frequently, it may help to clear your browser's cache. To do this, follow the steps below for your browser and version. This step is also good to clear up your tracks; because your browser stores temporally all web pages viewed in its cache.
Netscape 4.x for Windows or Mac
- Choose "Preferences..." from the Edit menu.
- Click the plus to the left of "Advanced" on the left side, and then choose "Cache" from the pull-down list.
- Click the "Clear Memory Cache" button and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Click the "Clear Disk Cache" button and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Click the "OK" button at the bottom of the Preferences window.
- Close and re-start your browser.
Internet Explorer 5.x for Windows
- Choose "Internet Options..." from IE's Tools menu.
- Locate the "Temporary Internet files" heading, click the "Delete Files" button, and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Locate the "History" heading, click the "Clear History" button, and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Click the OK button at the bottom of the Internet Options window.
- Close and re-start your browser.
Internet Explorer 6.x for Windows
- Choose "Internet Options..." from IE's Tools menu.
- Click the "Delete Cookies" button, and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Click the "Delete Files" button, and select to "Delete all offline content".
- Click "OK" when prompted.
- In the bottom right-hand corner of the Internet Options page, click the "Clear History" button, and choose "OK" when prompted.
- Click the OK button at the bottom of the Internet Options window.
- Close and re-start your browser.
Other
If you're running a browser other than those listed above and would like more information on how to clear your browser's cache, please refer to your browser's help file.
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