What to know about Internet cookies - Get Cyber Safe (2024)

FAQs

What to know about Internet cookies - Get Cyber Safe? ›

Internet cookies are used to enhance the user experience online by personalizing what you see and simplifying your browsing experience. As convenient as some of those features may be, cookies can cause security and privacy concerns for your personal information.

Cookies are small files of information that a web server generates and sends to a web browser. Web browsers store the cookies they receive for a predetermined period of time, or for the length of a user's session on a website. They attach the relevant cookies to any future requests the user makes of the web server.

Computer cookies pose several potential dangers to user privacy and security. They can be exploited for tracking user behavior across websites, leading to intrusive targeted advertising and potential privacy violations.

Cookies and cybercriminals

Cookies by themselves do not pose security risks, however, they can be used by cybercriminals to impersonate the user, collect financial data, access their accounts or to steal passwords that are stored in the browser.

What happens if you don't accept cookies? – The potential problem with refusing to accept cookies is that some website owners may not allow you to use their websites if you don't accept their cookies. Another downside is that without acceptance, you may not receive the full user experience on certain websites.

Accepting cookies from trusted sources can help maintain the security of your online interactions. Control - Most modern browsers provide options to control cookie settings. You can choose to accept all cookies, block all cookies, or selectively accept cookies from specific websites.

Tracking User Activity: Cookies can be used to track a user's activity on a website, including their browsing history and actions such as clicking on buttons and filling out forms. This information can be used by companies to target advertisem*nts and analyze consumer behavior.

Cookies can't harm your device—they're not a form of malware and can't affect how your computer runs. But keep in mind they do affect your online privacy.

How long are cookies safe? ›

Information. Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Moist bars, such as cheesecake and lemon bars, can be refrigerated for seven days.

Tracking cookies can collect information about all the sites you visit, the pages you looked at within a website, products you might have clicked on, purchases that you've made, etc, IP address, and your geographic location.

Room temperature: Use airtight containers, cookie jars, or plastic bags to prevent air exposure and moisture loss. Keep cookies in a cool, dry area. Refrigerated: Use airtight containers or sealed plastic bags to store cookies in the fridge. Monitor the moisture level to avoid condensation.

One security risk associated with persistent cookies is their susceptibility to Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks. If a website fails to properly validate and sanitize user input, attackers can inject malicious scripts into the website, potentially stealing cookies and gaining unauthorized access to user accounts.

If the network is not secure, hackers can use packet sniffing tools to intercept the cookies transmitted over the network. With these cookies in hand, they can hijack your social media sessions, potentially gaining access to your private messages, photos, and personal information.

Tracking cookies are small text files that websites place on a user's browser to collect data about their online activities. These files contain data that allows websites to remember specific user preferences, maintain login sessions, and track user behavior across different sites.

For example, if you frequently visit a news website and always read the sports section, the website might use cookies to show you more sports-related content. Convenience: Cookies can streamline your browsing experience by remembering your login information, shopping cart contents, and other preferences.

The cache can also cause issues when viewing new versions of previously visited web pages. Deleting the cache and cookies data regularly helps to troubleshoot, helps to increase the loading time of web pages, loads new versions of web pages and increases the performance of your computer.

The server can track certain information about your visits, such as your preferred language and other settings. Cookies also help websites remember your login information and other preferences. While cookies are technically safe, they can be used to track your online behavior.

Cookies are small pieces of text sent to your browser by a website you visit. They help that website remember information about your visit, which can both make it easier to visit the site again and make the site more useful to you.