FAQ On Cookies And Other Security Issues (grc.com/cb-faq.htm)

Member Name: ansar

Product:	grc.com/cb-faq.htm
Date:	16/09/00 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Peace of mind

Disadvantages: none

Did you know that when you visit a web site, some web sites are storing abit of information on your computer?

They store a little file on your PC which is known as cookies.

They then use this cookie to find out what sort of web sites you visit, which links you clicked on etc. They usually use all this information to send you appropriate information to your PC.

How do they do that?
Well, have you been on to web sites and then find a little seperate window opening, which usually is advertising something? Well some of those advertisements are generated by information taken from these cookies!!

These kinda web sites are intruding on your privacy..!!

However, there are some web sites that store cookies on your PC in order to remember you. In other words you might go on to a web site and you don't have to enter your username/password as the web site already knows who you are (this is done by reading off the information they stored on to your computer i.e the cookie). There are also some web sites that set out there home page in the way you asked for it. Again this is done by using the information that are stored on cookies.

These kinda web sites are fairly innocent.

There are programs available that will delete cookies or even not allow them (your web browser can also stop cookies from being stored). However, if you are like me, then you don't want to delete the cookies as some of them are useful (they remember your username/password so you don't have to remember them). But obviously I would like some cookies to be deleted but that will take a while to do.

There is this particular web page that gives an FAQ on cookies and gives a list of some of the not so innocent web sites that place these cookies on your PC. It also tells you how to stop these cookies from appearing on your PC again and at the same allowing the innocent cookies to be stored.

Aswell as a section on cookie
s, the whole FAQ is genereally about security related issues (some of which might not make sense to you). The FAQ is written in a VERY humourous way that you'll enjoy reading it (even though it is a very large FAQ).

The FAQ is at:
http://grc.com/cb-faq.htm

I recommend taking some time out and reading it.

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