All You Need To Know About Cookies Policy And Privacy
Cookies take the format of a username and password, they are like text files with a negligible amount of data. Cookies are used basically to identify a device when connected to a network. There are different types of cookies each with the same primary function but different devices to identify. For instance, HTTP is a type of cookie used to identify users, and by identifying users, a better web browsing experience is attained.
We also talked about cookies comprising a negligible amount of data well, cookies don’t naturally come with data, the data found in cookies is a result of the server connection of the device it’s identifying. Every cookie has a unique identity as the data embedded in them are always labeled with an ID unique to their users and their devices.
This unique ID is what servers work on. During a cookie exchange, the network server reads the unique ID of the data embedded in the cookie and this tells exactly what type of content the user should be exposed to.
The Types of Cookies Available
There are two major types of cookies available- Magic Cookies & HTTP Cookies. Just as we discussed earlier, Magic cookies & HTTP cookies have the same primary function but different applications. Let’s find out how each of the cookies is applied.
- Magic Cookies
Magic cookies have been in existence for quite some time now. Magic cookies represent pieces of information that are transferred without any noticeable change. With this unique ability of Magic cookies, one could easily guess its application. Magic cookies are used for logins, most times for computer database systems. This application predates the modern “cookie” that’s in vogue today.
- HTTP Cookies
HTTP cookies are derived from Magic cookies. They are the refurbished type of Magic cookie used basically for internet browsing. In 1994, a web browser & computer scientist- Lou Montulli made use of Magic cookies to develop HTTP cookies. With his invention, he was able to fix server-overload problems for online vendors.
Nowadays, HTTP cookies are used to manage all forms of online experiences associated with privacy infringement. It’s very efficient and this explains why internet fraudsters use it to spy on people’s confidential info.
HTTP cookies come in two different forms;
- Session cookies
- Persistent cookies
Session cookies are basically for navigation. This type of HTTP cookies are best stored in RAM- Random Access Memory and are best used for website navigation. HTTP cookies are never written to hard drives. Session cookies are temporary, immediately the web session ends, session cookies are deleted automatically. Some plugins are available on some websites to help maintain privacy, sessions cookies are part of the key elements that make these plugins work properly.
Persistent cookies unlike session cookies remain on the device used for browsing indefinitely except in some situations whereby the cookies come with the expiration date and are automatically deleted with the date elapses. This type of cookie has two main functions – Authentication and Validation.
Persistent cookies help confirm the identity of an end-user when logged in on a web page to avoid privacy infringement. Persistent cookies also help store login details so users don’t have to worry about forgetting their login credentials. Persistent cookies also help track down users’ visits to websites. Online vendors appreciate this feature of persistent cookies as they are able to know people that visit their websites and how frequently they do. They could use this information to boost their sales by suggesting items that might interest the visitors.
How Exactly Are Cookies Supposed To Be used Generally?
Cookies are created mainly for session management. This can be explained better with the aid of an example. With cookies, web domains are able to recognize their hosts, and internet users are able to recall their personal details and web page preferences. By webpage preferences we meant some individuals prefer to be prompted on sports news than political issues, with cookies, you can set your preferences with ease and personalize your web sessions.
Depending on the type of websites you visit, cookies can help you devise ads related to your browsing, that you will definitely be interested in. Online vendors also make use of cookies to track down their potential customers by monitoring the items they search for online and suggesting their own product to these customers on their web pages while they continue shopping. Cookies might seem beneficial to end-users only whereas, that’s not the case as web developers also get a lot of help from cookies.
Cookies are also not in anyways burdens to web servers as they can be stored locally on flash drives and mobile devices. Websites that make use of cookies are able to save more cash and minimize the cost of server maintenance through cookies.
Cookies Can Actually Be Dangerous. How?
Cookies themselves aren’t harmful due to the fact that the data stored in them remain unchanged except altered. What this means is that cookies can’t infect mobile devices or PCs with malware. However cookies could be manipulated by fraudsters and with your cookies manipulated, your browsing sessions become exposed. This is exactly how cookies could be dangerous.
For better understanding, let’s discuss some cookie variations you should look out for.
First-Party And Third-Party Cookies
Cookies generally, come from different sources with each source having a certain amount of threat.
First-party cookies are most times created by web pages. Cookies you meet on the website upon visit are First-party cookies. These cookies are safe in as much as the website you visited hasn’t been hijacked or compromised. Most reputable websites have First-party cookies.
Third-party cookies on the other hand are more troubling. They are cookies created by another website different from the one the user might be browsing at that moment. Third-Party cookies are often allowed access through ads that may appear on the webpage. Visiting a website that has 5 ads might mean introducing 5 cookies to the webpage.
Allowing Or Blocking Cookies
Having cookies on your PCs or mobile devices isn’t mandatory. You can decide not to have them at all or limit the amount of cookies that show up. Having cookies improves your browsing experience but at the expense of your security. Want to allow cookies on your PCs? Follow the procedure below;
Got to settings —— Find the cookie section ( should be under privacy settings) ——- Tick the box in front of the cookie option to allow cookies.
To block cookies, simply follow this same procedure but this time, don’t check the boxes. Blocking cookies help mitigate risks of being exposed, your privacy can be easily breached when you allow cookies.
