How can I cover my tracks on the Internet?
When surfing the Internet, traces are inevitably left behind. However, there are a few tricks that enable safe and largely trace-free surfing. The following tips can help you to surf the Internet safely and leave as few traces as possible.
Anonymous surfing / incognito mode / private mode
All web browsers offer an incognito mode. In this mode, the websites visited are not saved and significantly fewer cookies are set. The procedure varies depending on the browser.
Internet Explorer
Tools → InPrivate Browsing
Mozilla Firefox
Menu → Private Window
Google Chrome
Google Chrome customize and set → New incognito window
Safari
File → New private window
Microsoft Edge
More → New InPrivate Window
Use secure passwords
A secure password consists of several letters, numbers and special characters. Special characters such as the exclamation mark in particular improve security enormously.
Delete cookies regularly
Cookies store your data in the web browser you use. It is therefore recommended that you delete them regularly (at least once a month). Deleting cookies is done differently depending on the browser.
Internet Explorer
Tools and Internet Options → Delete All
Search «Instructions on how to delete cookies in Internet Explorer»
Mozilla Firefox
History → Delete most recent history → Select time span → Check the box next to the search terms & form data entered → Ok
Hier geht es zur Search «Instructions on how to delete cookies for Mozilla Firefox»
Google Chrome
History → Delete browser data → Select time span → Check the box next to Cookies and other website data → Delete data
Click here for instructions on how to delete cookies for Google Chrome
Safari
History → Clear history
Click here for instructions on how to delete cookies for Safari
Apple iPhones
Settings → Safari → Clear history and website data
Click here for instructions on how to delete cookies on Apple iPhones.
Android Smartphones
Three-point menu: History → Clear browser data → Total time → Clear data.
Click here for instructions on deleting cookies for Android smartphones.