What Are Cookies?
01/07/2009
A common term that many computer users see and may not necessarily understand is “cookies”. What are these bite sized files and why are they so important for your Internet browser? Most of us just ignore them, allowing them to load on to our computers as they wish, but what do they really do, are they important, and how can they affect your Internet privacy?
The Cookie
A cookie is in fact a small file that is transferred by a server to your computer’s Internet browser. The file is stored on your computer and the owner of the server hopes it remains there until it can return information to them about your computer, your Internet usage, or your use of their website. This might sound like a horrible thing, but many common websites use cookies for respectable purposes. Every time a browser asks you if you would like to save a password or user name, it is stored in a cookie. Every time you visit Amazon and see “recommended” products, these are stored in a cookie.
Basically, a cookie is the website’s way of keeping track of its visitors and ensuring they can provide the most up to date and accurate information for them. On the other hand, cookies are not always used properly. Because they can be loaded so easily on to most computers, and because they can gather information from your Internet usage and return it to the server, they can be used for ill purposes. This is why it is so important to regularly delete and clear out cookies stored in your cache.
More Technical Details
Cookies are generally scheduled to operate for a given amount of time. They are initially saved in your browser’s memory. If the timer on them is longer than the session on which you are logged into a website, they will revert and save to your hard drive.
Most cookies are designed only to tell a website owner when you have visited their site and what you looked at while you were there. It allows them to keep track of their traffic and what is working for them - common business practices on the Internet. By saving the information you have already provided to many websites, cookies also speed up the Internet surfing process, removing load times and duplicate entries. For these reasons, cookies are generally good things.
The Bad Side of Cookies
Cookies are generally not a major problem unless you visit a website that might be considered questionable. Your bank’s website or a major sports hub will not load malicious cookies onto your hard drive. However, it is always good to be safe and remove cookies from your computer as often as possible. They do store personal information and if someone gained access that they should not have to your cookies, they could extract that personal information and use it.
Generally, a cookie is a common aspect of your Internet browsing. You can disable them through your browser, but many websites may not work properly without them. If you are worried about the security and privacy risks they present, download a privacy software suite that will delete them on a regular basis. Otherwise, remember to stay away from questionable websites, set your browser to ask you before any cookies are downloaded, and always clear your cache once a week.
Download Privacy Controls now and protect your PC from snoops!