Internet Cleaner Test – Do you need an Internet Cache, History Cleaner?

To determine whether you need an internet track eraser app on your computer, there are three factors you need to consider:

• Is your disk an HD or SSD
• What’s in your internet tracks that could be recovered?
• What is the likelihood of someone else getting access to your computer and recovering your internet tracks?
• What would happen if someone recovered your tracks?

Look at these three factors and determine your level of risk (high, medium or low) for each of them.

To begin the test, put five fingers in the air and then answer these questions:

Step 1. Content Risk – What type of information could be recovered?

Are you at high, medium or low risk because of the nature of the browsing data that is on on your computer?

High Risk

• The information in your internet tracks would allow a third party to piece together confidential business research you have been doing (new strategic alliances, new product directions)
• Your recovered cache files or history file would allow a third party to piece together confidential personal research you have been doing (embarrassing medical condition you’d rather keep private, birthday present you’re looking for)
• Your recovered email trash may contain highly confidential clients information (legal, criminal justice, medical, personnel)
• Your recovered email trash may contain confidential business information (trade secrets, marketing strategies, financial information)
• Your recovered email trash may contain enough personal and financial information that someone could use it to steal your identity. (If you don’t know what this is, use a search engine to look up “Identity theft”)
• Your recovered email trash may contain very personal information that would be very hurtful to others if it was recovered

Low Risk

• You don’t use the internet for anything except looking for recipes. You haven’t been to any sites of a personal nature. You don’t do anything financial on the web and you don’t do any work related research on this computer.

Medium Risk

• If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk

Scoring

Remember your 5 fingers in the air?

• If you assessed yourself at High risk, put down 5 fingers
• If you assessed yourself at Medium risk, put down 1 finger
• If you assessed yourself at Low risk, put down 0 fingers

Step 2. Access Risk – Can someone gain access to your computer and recover your browsing data?

Are you at high, medium or low risk of someone else getting access to your computer, and your internet tracks?

High Risk

• You’re selling or giving away your computer
• Your computer is a company asset and has been assigned to someone else
• There is currently someone with access to your computer who you don’t trust
• You travel alot with your computer
• Your computer is stored where it can be accessed by many people you don’t know (reception area, very public office space)
• You don’t use any security procedures (locked storage area, computer locking cable, etc.)
• Your computer is stored in an insecure area (high crime rate, trade show booth)

Low Risk

• Your computer is always stored in a fairly secure area. You don’t travel with it, and it can’t be easily accessed by anyone you don’t know and trust

Medium risk

• If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk

Scoring

Time to put down more fingers.

• If you assessed yourself at high risk, put down 2 fingers
• If you assessed yourself at medium risk, put down 1 finger
• If you assessed yourself at low risk, put down 0 fingers

Step 3. Assess Consequences Risk – How bad could this be?

Are you at high, medium or low risk because of what could happen if someone did recover your internet tracks?

High Risk

• You’d lose your job, your company, the deal you’ve been working on that was going to let you retire early
• The contents of your recovered cache/email would cause other people/businesses financial hardship, hurt or embarrassment
• The contents of your recovered cache/history/email would negatively impact on your business by revealing trade secrets, business strategies, financial information
• The contents of your recovered cache/email would allow someone to steal your identity

Low Risk

• Your recovered cache might reveal your recipe for meatballs you sent to your brother, but not much else

Medium Risk

• If you fit between these two categories, assess yourself as Medium risk

Scoring

Time to put down more fingers.

• • If you assessed yourself at high risk, put down 5 fingers
  • If you assessed yourself at medium risk, put down 1 finger
  • If you assessed yourself at low risk, put down 0 fingers

Step 4 – Assessing your Risk

Count the number of fingers you still have in the air.

• If you have 4 or more fingers in the air, you probably don’t need an Internet Track Eraser app. To recover the space used by internet files, clear them instead.
• If you have 2 or 3 fingers in the air, you may need an Internet Track Eraser. If you’re not sure if you need to erase your tracks, use an analogy to help decide whether to get an internet eraser or not.Think of a Internet Track Eraser as a paper shredder. Imagine that the contents of the sites you go to were printed on paper. When you wanted to dispose of the information, would you shred the paper or put it in the trash? You decide.
• If you have 1 finger or fewer in the air, you need an Internet Track Eraser app.  If you have an HD you can erase the specific files but if you have an SSD you need to clear the specific files and then erase the disk free space