Preserve Your Privacy in an Internet Cafe

This how-to will tell you about preserving privacy in an internet cafe, especially on your computer.

Steps

  1. Use Tor.
  2. When logging in to webmail such as Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo Mail on a public computer; look for any check boxes that say "Remember my password" or "Remember my email address." Make sure they are UNCHECKED.
  3. Because the security status of a public computer is unknown, it may be infected with keystroke logging spyware for example, never log into any site that manages your sensitive or financial information such as your stockbroker site.
  4. Many browsers will offer to store your user name and password when you log in, be sure not to allow it.
  5. Make sure that you log out of every site you've logged in to. This can include web browsers, instant messaging clients and ftp sites.
  6. Clear the browser history and cache when you are finished using the computer. In Firefox, go to the Tools menu at the top and choose "Clear Private Data." In Internet Explorer go the Tools menu at the top and choose "Delete Browsing History."
  7. Be certain that when you leave the computer you have deleted everything you saved to the desktop. If you scanned in an image, saved pictures from your vacation or edited your resume make sure you permanently delete all personal files from the computer.
  8. Never borrow a neighbor's free Wi-Fi connection. Your neighbor might be running a packet sniffer and intercepting your network traffic.
  9. Do not open email attachments with a .exe file extension or coming from someone you don't know.
  10. Store personal data on a USB flash drive using FreeOTFE and FreeOTFE Explorer to secure it.

Tips

  • If you don't want other customers in the cafe to see what you are doing, ask for a computer near the back or make sure the computers near yours are unoccupied.
  • If you're in a public cafe, ask the barista to verify that you have deleted all personal data from the computer.
  • Using a live boot CD will help preserve your privacy on a computer, use a search engine to find a search list of live boot CDs, booting from a live CD will leave no trace of your activities.
  • It's also possible to download a web browser to install on a flash drive. Versions of Mozilla can be downloaded from http://www.lupopensuite.com/ which leaves all the temporary files on the flash drive and not on the cafĂ©'s computer.

Warnings

  • Never post any personal information in a public place like Myspace, Facebook or Craigslist.

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