Stay Safe on a Public Computer

Most of us carry a computer, smartphone, or tablet with us daily, so the need for a public computer is greatly diminished.  However, there may be times when using a public computer (or a borrowed computer) is a necessity. Perhaps you need to use a library computer because your laptop's battery died and you need to send an important email.  Or maybe you are borrowing a computer at a friend's house so you can type a letter.

Whatever the situation, you want to make sure that you stay safe while you are using a shared computer.  Here are four tips to keep yourself safe when using a public computer:

1) Don't Save Logins and Always Log Out - Checking your Facebook or email?  Don't check that little box to save your login information.  Your user name and password will go straight to that box, and the next person who logs in can go straight to your account.  Even if only the email address is saved, you can open yourself up to spam.

Also, never assume that your browser information will be saved when you close your browser.  Always find the button and log out before you close your browser.  If you forget, you can go back to the site to see if you are logged out or if the browser saved your session.

2) Clear the History - The browser history can contain a large amount of information about you.  Even if you were only doing something like checking your email, there is no way to tell what cookies are already on the computer tracking you.  Before you do anything, take time to clear everything you can from the browser.  This includes the cookies, browsing history, and cache.  The process for doing this varies depending on the browser, but it is very simple.

3) Go Incognito - All the major browsers now have an incognito mode.  This allows you to browse without the computer saving information about your history and cookies.  (This makes a good choice if you are shopping for a birthday present for someone who shares the computer!)  After you have cleared the browser information, use your browser's incognito mode to keep information about your session from being stored on the computer.  (It never hurts to go back afterward and clear everything again, just in case!)

4) Only Do What's Necessary - If you only need to use the public computer to check your email, then check your email and get off!  I know it might be tempting to get on Facebook and browse for a few minutes, but anything could be tracked by programs you don't know are on the computer.  If it is not absolutely necessary, then don't risk it.