TECH - WHAT ARE COOKIES

An HTTP cookie is a small piece of data stored on the user's computer by the web browser while browsing a website. Cookies were designed to be a reliable mechanism for websites to remember stateful information or to record the user's browsing activity.

Cookie: Is a small bit of information that travels from a browser to the web server.  It was coined from the term 'magic cookies' that derives from a fortune cookie; a cookie with an embedded message. Java: Is a programming language.

When you visit a website that uses cookies, a cookie file is saved to your PC, Mac, phone or tablet. That way, if you go back to that website again, the website knows you've already been there before. This means companies can tailor their websites to you, because they know some information about you already.

 Cookies can be an optional part of your internet experience. If you so choose, you can limit what cookies end up on your computer or mobile device. If you allow cookies, it will streamline your surfing. For some users, no cookies security risk is more important than a convenient internet experience.

 

What happens when you accept cookies? Cookies are little bits of data that allow a web browser to track information about you, such as your browsing activity, your name, search history, or login. By accepting cookies, you are giving that website permission to track that information.

 Accepting cookies will give you the best user experience on the website, while declining cookies could potentially interfere with your use of the site. For example, online shopping. Cookies enable the site to keep track of all of the items that you've placed in your cart while you continue to browse.

 Tracking cookies can record all kinds of information: search queries, purchases, device information, location, when and where you saw previous advertisements, how many times you've seen an ad, and what links you click on. All of this and more is collected, often without your consent or knowledge.

 A cookie typically contains two bits of data: a unique ID for each user, and a site name. Cookies enable websites to retrieve this information when you revisit them, so that they can remember you and your preferences and tailor page content for you based on this information.

 You can't accurately see a person's browsing history from cookies. Cookies usually store the domain, expiration date, settings, counters, and whatever the user may have entered into a form. So, those are the things you can find out from a cookie.

 When created, cookies normally don't contain any personal information. They don't scan your computer or do any kind of investigation to find out your personal information. Any personal information they might contain is a result of your own input on a website's form.

 

 

• How can I see my cookies?

Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap 'Advanced'. Tap 'Website Data' to see a list of cookies. Android does not appear to allow users to view individual cookies. You can delete all cookies, or enable/disable them.

The maximum size of cookie?

4096 bytes.

What cookies are on my site?

Alternatively, you can also find all the cookies that the websites install on the browser, from the menu on the top right corner of the browser, go to Settings > Advanced settings > Content settings. From the Content settings menu, go to Cookies and then click on See all cookies and site data.

 

How do I clear cookies for a particular website?

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app. To the right of the address bar, tap on “More,” or what looks like three dots, and then select “Settings.” Tap on the “Privacy” category and then select “Clear browsing data.”

 

 

• How long do cookies stay on your computer?

12 months

Session cookies disappear once the user closes the browser window. All permanent cookies have an expiration date written in their code. According to the ePrivacy Directive, the cookie should last no longer than 12 months, but in practice, many cookies have a much longer duration.

• Where are Google cookies stored?

Google Chrome stores all cookies in a single file called Cookies. The file is located at the following path: “C:\Users\Your User Name\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default.” Do not forget to replace “Your User Name” with the actual name of your user account.

• Does clearing cookies delete passwords?

Deleting cookies removes session login information, including the previously entered username and password.  However, deleting cookies does not affect passwords you saved in your browser, so when you revisit a site, your browser may automatically fill in the login page with your saved username and password.

 

• Are cookies a security risk?

Yes, depending on how cookies are used and exposed, they can represent a serious security risk. For instance, cookies can be hijacked. As most websites utilize cookies as the only identifiers for user sessions, if a cookie is hijacked, an attacker could be able to impersonate a user and gain unauthorized access.

 

The stolen cookies allow the hacker to get access to the user's account without entering login details. Cookie security is a major problem in the internet world. Security holes keep being found in different browsers which inadvertently can leak personal information to malicious users.

 

 

 

When using cookies its important to remember to:

1. Limit the amount of sensitive information stored in the cookie.
2. Limit the subdomains and paths to prevent interception by another application.
3. Enforce SSL so the cookie isn't sent in cleartext.
4. Make the cookie HttpOnly so its not accessible to javascript.

You can actively help protect your cookie files with these easy-to-follow tips: Install comprehensive Internet security software across your devices. Be careful about sharing personal information, particularly on public computers. Don't use public WiFi to access social media accounts, online banking or shopping sites.

 Cookies