Policing the Communities of the Highlands and Islands

Main contents of page

How to cover your tracks

Please remember that if you are concerned that someone is monitoring your internet usage, your safest option would be to access the internet from another place such as a friend's house, your work, an internet café or local library.

Covering your tracks

Every time you use the internet your browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari to name but a few) saves pieces of information including images, search terms or words used in search engines and login names on your computer. This stored information helps the pages you visit frequently load faster by using the files stored on your computer instead of having to downloading the web page in full again. These are saved as 'cookies' and they can mark a trail or 'history' that reveals what you have been looking at online. Below are instructions on how to minimize the chances of someone finding out that you have visited this website.

If you are unsure what browser you are using click on Help on the toolbar at the top of the browser screen. A drop down menu will appear, the last entry will say 'About Internet Explorer', 'About Mozilla Firefox', or something similar. The entry refers to which browser type you are using. You can then follow the relevant instructions below.

It's also worth noting that if you are using a modern browser such as Internet Explorer 8, Safari 3, Firefox 3.5 or Google Chrome each of these browsers features a Private InPrivate or Incognito mode which doesn't store any web history or cookies once the browser is exited. These modes are normally found within the 'Tools' 'File' or 'Safety'options in the browser's toolbar.

When you have finished viewing the Northern Constabulary site take these steps to keep others from knowing where you have visited.

Removing specific pages from your browser's history

  • When using your browser press the Ctrl and H keys together
    • On an Apple Mac when using Safari use ALT CMD and 2 or when using Firefox use CMD SHIFT and H
  • The history of the websites that have been viewed will show in the browser window
  • Locate the Northern Constabulary folder/page. Right click on the folder/page and choose delete
  • Close the history window

Removing ALL information from your browser's history

Please be aware that there is a risk involved in removing all history data from your browser. Removing cookies may clear saved passwords for membership sites or online banking which may alert your partner to the fact that you have removed information. Also, your partner may notice if the address history on the PC has been cleared, and this may raise suspicion.

Internet Explorer 6

When in Internet Explorer 6 go to the menu bar at the top of the page. It looks like this:

  1. Click on Tools.
  2. Go to the bottom of the dropdown menu and click on Internet options. This will open a box with the names of several different sections along the top. You will already be in the section called General, which is where you want to be.
  3. In the middle of this box is a section called Temporary Internet Files. Click on the button marked Delete files.
  4. When the box pops up, tick the Delete all offline content box and then click OK.
  5. When your computer finishes deleting your temporary internet files, you will be back in the General Internet Options box.
  6. Look at the section below called History. Here you can click on the Clear History button.
  7. A dialogue box will ask you if you want to delete all items in your history folder. Click Yes.
  8. Click OK to close the Internet Options box.

Internet Explorer 7 and 8

  1. Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options.
  2. In the General page under Browser History, select the Delete button.
  3. Either select and delete each section: Temporary internet files; Cookies, History; Forms data and Passwords. or
  4. Select the Delete all button at the bottom to clear everything.

Safari (often used on Apple Macs)

Resetting Safari clears the history and cookies but also clears the downloads and removes any saved user names and passwords or other AutoFill data and clears Google/Yahoo search entries.

  1. Go to the Safari menu at top left hand screen.
  2. Choose and click Reset Safari.

Firefox

  1. Click on the Tools option in the menu bar.
  2. Select Clear Private Data.
  3. In the box that appears, make sure you tick the Cookies box too.
  4. Click on Clear Private Data.

Google Chrome

  1. Click on the spanner icon next to the search bar and click on Clear Browsing Data from the menu.
  2. Make sure the Clear browsing history and Delete cookies options are selected.
  3. Click on Clear Browsing Data to finish.
  4. You have now deleted all your temporary internet files and all the links in your history folder. If you are worried about getting in trouble for visiting this site or any others, do this each time you visit.

Other things to consider

E-mail:

Any email you have previously sent will be stored in sent Items. Go to sent items and delete emails you don't want a person to see. If you started an email but didn't finish it, it might be in your drafts folder. Go to the draft folder to delete it.

If you reply to any email, the original message will probably be in the body of the message - delete the email if you dont want anyone to see your original message.

When you delete an item in any email program (Outlook Express, Outlook, Thunderbird etc) it does not really delete the item - it moves the item to a folder called Deleted Items. You have to delete the items in Deleted Items to remove them completely.

If there's a risk that someone may know how to access your emails, it's a good idea to set up a new email account. Use a provider like Hotmail or Yahoo for an account you can access from anywhere, and use a name that is not recognisable as you, for example OfficeSupplies@hotmail.co.uk. Keep this email secret.

Toolbars:

Toolbars such as Google, AOL and Yahoo keep a record of the search words you have typed into the toolbar search box. In order to erase all the search words you have typed in, you will need to check the individual instructions for each type of toolbar. For example, for the Google toolbar all you need to do is click on the Google icon, and choose "Clear Search History". With AOL, to remove trace of the websites you've visited, hold down the Control key and the H key.