There comes a time when most everyone is going to have to use a publicly accessible computer at some point in their lives. You may have to use one at the library or in a student computer lab at your school.

Whatever the case may be, there are some things you should avoid doing, as well as some digital housekeeping that you should take care of when you're finished using a publicly accessible or shared computer.


Here Are 5 Major Security-related Tenets You Should Abide by When Using a Shared Computer:

Turn on Private Browsing

Most all modern web browsers offer a private browsing mode which is intended for the kind of situation where you might be using a shared computer and want to ensure that no one has access to your history or web cache after you complete your web browsing session.

You should strongly consider using your browser's private browsing feature when you are in a computer lab situation, otherwise, someone using the computer after you might be able to connect to websites you had logged into using your cached credentials. 

To learn how to turn on private browsing in your favorite web browser of choice, check out our article How to Enable Private Browsing in Your Web Browser for full instructions.

When you're done using private browsing mode, always make sure to close all browser windows so that someone can't hijack your session before it gets cleared out by closing the window.

Clean That Cache Before You Dash

Whether you are using private browsing or not, you should make it a habit to clear your history, your temporary Internet files (cache) and any cached passwords and cookies that might have gotten saved while you were browsing.

If you were using private browsing, these files shouldn't be present, but there is no harm in clearing these out even if you're pretty sure they don't exist. It's always good to be sure even if it might be unnecessary. If you weren't using private browsing mode, then it is absolutely critical to clear these files before you leave your computer.

When In Doubt Log Yourself Out

If you've logged into any website, whether its an online store, your email account, bank site, etc, BE SURE to click on the log out link on the site when you are done using it, otherwise, there is a strong potential risk that your credentials may be cached by the browser and made available to the next person who uses that computer.

You don't want someone going on an online shopping spree on your dime, do you? When in doubt, ALWAYS Log yourself OUT.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Another risk associated with using a shared computer in a common area with other people watching you is the possibility that someone will 'shoulder surf" and watch you enter your credentials, (username and password) so they can steal your account information and impersonate you.

It's critical to be aware of your surroundings and those who are around you. If someone looks suspicious or you feel like they might be trying to observe you entering your password, move to another computer. You might also want to check to make sure that the keyboard on your computer doesn't have any mysterious extra attachments between it and the computer. If you see what appears to be a thumb drive in between the keyboard and the computer connection this might be a sign of a USB keylogger used to steal passwords and other data.

Don't Forget to Log Off of The Computer Before You Leave

Always, always, ALWAYS log out of your computer when you leave if you're using a computer that supports multi-user logins. If you don't log off, you risk losing all your data and someone else using your account to do bad things.