Electronic Safety

Technology can be a key tool in helping you find valuble resources, help and support. However, even though it is helpful, technology can also be used to monitor your activities without your consent. Awareness and education are the best methods of avoiding being monitored electronically. Below you will find helpful guides and hints detailing electronic threats and how you can best avoid them when seeking help.

When using a landline phone

There are various precautions you can take to drastically reduce the threat of your activity being monitored when using a home or landline telephone.

• Call Logs

Be aware that some landline phones have the ability to store call logs which can then be viewed on a display on the handset or base of the telephone. If the phone you are using has this feature then you maybe able to delete single entries from the logs. If so, remember to delete the entries that could arouse suspicion. Some phones lack the ability to delete single entries and instead feature an option to clear the entire log at once, remember to be careful when using this feature as the missing logs could greatly arouse suspicion and increase your risk

• Caller ID and Call backs

Many phones have caller ID which will reveal the number you are calling from to the call recipient, if you are concerned about the safety of a call you are making then remember to dial *67 prior to the number you're calling. This will hide your number from the majority of phones. However, be aware that there are some services that can reveal your number even if it is blocked. Also make sure that after you've finished with your call to dial the number of a local supermarket, resturant or other establishment that is unrelated to the resources you've just phoned. This will prevent anyone from dialing *69 on the telephone to monitor your activities. If *69 is dialed it will redial the last number that was called on the phone. If this number was ours or another resource then it could increase your risk.

• Being monitored from a distance

You maybe alone physically, but remember that someone could still be listening. If at all possible use a corded phone when seeking help, cordless phones transmit the call over air, using a scanner these calls can often be recieved and overheard without the consent of the parties on either end of the call. Using a cordless phone instead of a cellphone or cordless phone greatly reduces the risk of this type of monitoring. Also remember to check the area for other devices that maybe monitoring your activities, these include babies monitors and cellphones set to automatically and silently answer calls which can then be planted and called in order to listen from afar. If you are afraid that you are being monitored in this fashion you should either use an alternate phone to contact your resources or establish a code word or phrase with a friend in order to alert them when you maybe in danger without arousing suspicion.