Why Cleaning Up Your Internet Browser History Is A Smart Move
A computer tracks all the activities of a user while they are working offline and online on the Internet. The browser history on a computer contains all of the Web sites a person visits. Everyone with access to a certain computer will be able to see the user’s web surfing history, images, videos, documents, and files that have been recently visited. To protect user privacy, it is important to clean up the Internet Browser History. Information on the Web sites that were recently visited is contained in the Browser History Files, which are accessible to any outside parties. Users can save themselves some embarrassment while protecting their privacy by cleaning up their browser history.
The “Clear All History” selection allows users to clear their browser history in Internet Explorer, and users can also disable the AutoComplete feature that is available in many Internet programs. The programs usually enable users to clear their browser history, and clear address bar history (URL Autocomplete). There are also some programs such as Mozilla, Firefox, and Opera that also remove tracks of recently downloaded files (clears the download list). It is also possible to remove the path that was used for the last previous file(s) saving and opening tasks. A browser will automatically remember the path that was used for the last file saving or opening, and will open the folder that was used for the last file save or opening the next time the user wants to save a downloaded file or picture.
The browser history may be deleted, but the history index.dat file stores information that shows which Web sites a user has visited on the internet. It is best for users to use the “Clear All History” selection to clean up the content of the history index.dat file, or the file may be deleted at Windows startup. Internet programs can also be set to clear tracks of Internet usage each time a user closes the Web browser or immediately after viewing a Web page. Obtaining the maximum privacy requires users to clean up Browser History Files, as well as the address bar history (URL AutoComplete). The address bar is also known as the Location bar, which is a text box that is used to enter a Web site address in the Web browser.
The Web browser allows users to use the down arrow to view recently visited Web pages. The address bar history will display the Web sites that have been recently visited by users, which enables other users with access to the computer to view recent Web sites. When another user types in a Web site in the address bar, the user will get a drop down URL list with the Web sites that have been recently visited. The “Clear Browser History” feature can completely clear the drop down location bar history in Internet programs, so other users will not have access to others’ vital information.
It is also important to clear the AutoComplete feature. The AutoComplete feature stores a list of everything that is typed in Web pages. For example, this feature stores information containing e-mail addresses, credit card information, keywords entered in search engines, and any other information users give on Web pages. The feature allows users to complete a form by suggesting possible matches, and users can use a down arrow to select the most suitable text. People with access to the same computer can see the same drop list of information the user has typed. Other users will also be able to see the information and passwords that users enter on Web sites using special software that allows viewing and managing that information. The “Clear All History” feature protects users’ privacy and clears the AutoComplete feature.
Passwords should also be deleted from Web browsers also. The autocomplete feature provides convenience, but it may compromise users’ security and privacy, because any user with access to your computer can use stored passwords to gain access to the corresponding Web sites. Hackers may also use special software to steal passwords that are stored as autocomplete data. Stored passwords can be removed by using the “Delete Stored Passwords” feature.
