How to Use Public Computers Safely

We’ve talked about public Wi-Fi and anonymous browsers, but what steps should you take when you must use a public or shared computer? Can the next person using the computer see what sites you have visited or access files you have downloaded? What about passwords? Can the next person see passwords you might have used or other sensitive information you might have entered into forms?

Always use a private or incognito window on a public computer

You won’t be able to install a privacy-oriented browser on your local library’s computer. You are stuck with what the browser (likely Chrome or Edge) they have. However, you can use the private window feature of an installed browser.

Log out and close

Be sure to log out of any accounts you are signed in to. Close all browsers. If permitted, restart the computer.

Use a personal USB portable drive to download any files

Download files directly to your USB drive. Don’t download files to the computer and then transfer them to a USB drive. Deleting a file from the computer does not actually delete the file, just the reference. Deleted files can be recovered with free software.

Watch your back

Something we sometimes forget is simply to make sure no one is spying the old low-tech way, just looking over your shoulder or observing keystrokes while you enter passwords.

Be aware the system administrator can spy

There is nothing you can do outside of using a VPN to prevent an intrusive boss or system administrator from installing spyware on their computer system. Using a private browser is easy protection from a casual user taking a peek at the prior computer user’s activity, but not foolproof.

The best protection for all-around security is a VPN. We’ll cover that in another lesson.