How often do you get the option of Accepting Cookies on your screen? The modern internet offers the user to accept or decline the HTTP cookies that are vulnerable to your privacy. Certainly, these cookies are a necessary aspect of a smooth web browsing experience. Cookies help you
*Login immediately as you open the website
*Remembers your passwords
*Retrieve your Shopping cart and wishlist
But as every coin has two sides, some cookies bring you a sweet experience some may bring you a bitter one. Cookies are the most vulnerable treasure trove that is a hub of private info for criminals and cyber attackers to spy on. So how often should you accept the cookies? Let us dive in deeper-
What are Cookies?
Cookies are particularly the text files that contain small sets of data that are retrieved to identify the computer as one works on the network. Eg- Storing your username and passwords. Another set of cookies known as HTTP cookies is beneficial to improve your web browsing experience and helps identify specific users.
How Do Cookies Work?
It is the server connection that stores the data in the form of cookies. Every set of data gets a unique ID that then gets labeled to the particular computer.
As the cookie gets exchanged between the computer and network server, the server automatically reads the ID and retrieves the information to serve a smooth web experience for the user.
What Are Cookies Used For?
We all know the pain to enter the password every time you open a particular webpage or imagine every time you open your eCommerce website, your shopping cart and wishlist are empty and you have to find them all over again. Life would turn so miserable. At least for me!
Websites make use of HTTP cookies to help you reach your favorites and make easy payments for a smooth internet experience.
Cookies essentially help in the following ways
# Session management with Cookies
Cookies restore the data by recognizing the users and gathering the individual login information and preferences of the users. Such information helps retrieve the data on the website as per the user history.
#Personalization.
Ever wondered why you start getting Ads from various sellers once you visit any website for a product? It is all the work of cookies that use the data for making customized advertising based on your personalized sessions. Cookies help in targeted customized ads to the users.
#Tracking.
Ecommerce sites track the product previously viewed and remind you about the product now and then until you make the buy. They particularly make the best use of cookies to identify the user’s shopping needs and keep the items in the carts and wishlist until you make the payment.
Where are they stored?
Cookies are stored in your computer systems. They are stored in your devices and retrieve information when the server matches itself with the unique label Id. As such you can manage the cookies yourself on your system.
Why Cookies Can Be Dangerous ?
Since the cookies are on your device and data doesn’t change itself they aren’t harmful in themselves. It is sometimes that the other websites may hijack the information stored in these cookies making them vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
They work out smartly by accessing the browser histories and getting access to important information that is stored in the cookies that may attack your financial information.
There are mainly two types of cookies that can be dangerous for your system –
First-Party Cookies
First-party cookies are generally safer and are generated by the website itself. They are less threatful and work in your favor until you are browsing some reputed secure websites only.
Third-Party Cookies
It is the Ads that play the role of culprit here. You might see ads on the web page you are browsing. These Ads start generating cookies as soon as you reach the web page irrespective of you clicking on the ad. These third-party cookies pose a threat as they track the browsing history and gather personal information about the user.
They track your browsing history by determining the user’s needs. Like if you first searched for a Camera, then you went on a certain eCommerce site and lastly to the particular online camera website.
Zombie Cookies
Zombie cookies are from a third-party and most threatful cookies that are permanently installed on users’ computers, even if you uninstall them. Also known as Flash cookies they remain on your system device even if you repeatedly delete them. Zombie cookies are also used by websites to ban specific users or retrieve important information as a part of a cyber attack.
Allowing or Removing Cookies
So next time you see the option of Accept or Decline. Think wisely. They are a part of creating the web experience smoother. It’s completely up to the user to accept /reject or limit them.
So for easy surfing and streamlined web browsing, accept the cookies. Some users opt for NO cookies security risk than a convenient web experience.
Removing cookies
So by the time you reach this section, you may want to mitigate your risks of privacy breaches. It can also reset your browser tracking and personalization. To help, Sifars, your dedicated web development company provides the step-by-step procedure to help you remove the cookies.
Removing the normal cookies is quite easy, but it could make certain websites harder to navigate. You may enlist some other internet security software to detect malicious cookies.
Here’s how you can Allow or Remove Cookies:
* Find the cookies by going through this path- Settings > Privacy> listed under Tools, Internet Options, or Advanced.
* Now Click the boxes to allow the required cookies.
* The option may be written as -Allow local data. Identify the ones and click.
* Simply uncheck the boxes for unwanted cookies
Takeaway
Regardless of how risky the cookies can be, one must evaluate the ease of use expected from the website that uses cookies. Mostly, cookies improve the web experience. Although it’s best to remain on guard and clean up the cookies often.