Keep your passwords, data and web-surfing private

Did you know that Internet Explorer stores private data
about you and the history of all websites you have visited?

If you use Internet Explorer to surf the web you should know that Internet Explorer stores information about you such as:

• Passwords you have typed in to websites
• What web sites you have visited
• Cookie information about web sites you have visited
• COPIES of images and data from websites you have visited

If other people have access to your computer they can very easily see this information and learn quite a bit about your surfing habits. No special software is necessary to access this 'private' data - only a little know-how. Even more information can be gathered by an expert such as the local police department, the FBI, or a run-of-the-mill teenage computer hacker.

How you can keep your internet information private

There are several easy steps you can take to make snooping on your information more difficult. The most important step is to stop using Internet Explorer to surf the internet! All home computer experts agree that Internet Explorer is not safe for accessing the internet, for several reasons. If you are concerned about spy ware or viruses, see our internet security page for more information about why Internet Explorer makes it easy for spyware to get into your PC. Because Internet Explorer also makes your private information available to anyone with access to your PC, you should use a more secure browser with privacy features.

Install and use a web-browser with privacy features

There are a few safe and private web browsers available that you can download and use for free. Today the most popular is Firefox, which you have probably already heard of. Firefox is free, has no spy-ware, and is easy to download and install. Firefox has built-in privacy features that can automatically remove all traces of what websites you have been to, passwords you have used, cookies, etc. You do not have to Un-install Internet Explorer to use Firefox - simply download and install Firefox, then when you want to use the internet, just double-click the Firefox icon instead of the Internet Explorer icon.

Other steps to stay private on the internet

Now that you have Firefox (or another safe web-browser program) installed, you can still do more to protect your privacy online. Unfortunately Firefox is the only free step toward privacy. For total privacy you may have to spend a few dollars, but if you value your privacy online it's a good investment.

Several online companies sell privacy products such as anonymizers, web proxies and data encryption tools. All of these products are designed to either hide your online information from people or companies such as your Internet Service Provider, online marketing companies, police, etc. These tools when properly configured and used are very effective at keeping your internet access hidden or private.

Files stored on your computer

It should be obvious that all files (pictures, videos, documents, etc) are easily accessible by anyone with physical access to your computer. Even if you use the password protection built-in to Windows, any hacker or authority with a warrant can easily access these files! It is possible, using data encryption software to encrypt these files making it extremely difficult, if not impossible for anyone to gain access to them (except you of course, assuming you don't forget the passwords!) To read more about data encryption software and tools, see our file security page.

Stay secure and private on the internet!

By following the simple steps above, and with minimal investment you can be sure that you and your data are safe, secure and private.

Learn how to prevent identity theft

Learn how to prevent spyware

Read how to make money with your computer