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Technology
Info, Tips, FAQs Cookies FAQs
Privacy, Cookies and Encryption
Question: Answer 1
- (from Cookie Central) When someone accesses a server on the Web, such as the Library of Congress, the user's Web browser will send an information request to the Library of Congress' computer. This computer is called a Web server. The Web server will respond to the request by transmitting the desired information to the user's computer. There, the user's browser will display the received information on the user's screen. Cookies are pieces of information generated by a Web server and stored in the user's computer, ready for future access. Cookies are embedded in the HTML information flowing back and forth between the user's computer and the servers. Cookies were implemented to allow user-side customization of Web information. For example, cookies are used to personalize Web search engines, to allow users to participate in WWW-wide contests (but only once!), and to store shopping lists of items a user has selected while browsing through a virtual shopping mall. Basically, cookies make use of user-specific information transmitted by the Web server onto the user's computer so that the information might be available for later access by itself or other servers. In most cases, not only does the storage of personal information into a cookie go unnoticed, so does access to it. Web servers automatically gain access to relevant cookies whenever the user establishes a connection to them, usually in the form of Web requests. Cookies are based on a two-stage process. First the cookie is stored in the user's computer without their consent or knowledge. For example, with customizable Web search engines like My Yahoo!, a user selects categories of interest from the Web page. The Web server then creates a specific cookie, which is essentially a tagged string of text containing the user's preferences, and it transmits this cookie to the user's computer. The user's Web browser, if cookie-savvy, receives the cookie and stores it in a special file called a cookie list. This happens without any notification or user consent. As a result, personal information (in this case the user's category preferences) is formatted by the Web server, transmitted, and saved by the user's computer. During the second stage, the cookie is clandestinely and automatically transferred from the user's machine to a Web server. Whenever a user directs her Web browser to display a certain Web page from the server, the browser will, without the user's knowledge, transmit the cookie containing personal information to the Web server. source: Cookiecentral.com
What's a cookie? Since the release of Netscape Navigator 2.0, cookies have been used by many Web page designers as a convenient means of letting one Web page retrieve specific information about what you, the user, did on a previous Web page, or which page you came from. Sometimes cookies are used to communicate password and login information from page to page, or to fill a "shopping basket", so that one page can collect information about what you decided to buy on previous pages. Cookies are sometimes used by advertisers to keep track of which Web site it was on which you clicked their ad (some advertisers place the same advertisement on many Web sites). The Sympatico Web site does use advertisement banners on some of its pages, and these ad banners do not 'set a cookie', although sometimes if you click an ad banner and visit the advertiser's Web page, that Web page will set a cookie. Can cookies
compromise your privacy? Access to the information in your cookie.txt file is very limited as well. If a Web page at some Web site saves some text to the cookie.txt file on your hard drive, it cannot be accessed by another Web page on another Web site (unless it's a Web page located in the same domain, e.g. "sympatico.ca"). Specific text in your cookie.txt file can only be accessed by other pages on the Web site where the cookie file originated. So, only Sympatico cookies can be read by Sympatico Web pages. Moreover, since cookies are nothing more than a bit of text, they certainly can not spread viruses. How do I know
when a cookie is being used? Does the Sympatico
site use cookies? Where does the
Sympatico site use cookies? Can I turn cookies
off? Internet Explorer 1. Click the Tools menu, then click Internet Options. 2. Click the Security tab. 3. If necessary, click Internet to select it as the Web content zone. 4. Click Custom Level. The Security Settings window opens. 5. In the Settings list, scroll to locate Cookies in the list. There are two security items listed for Cookies. 6. Notice the Allow cookies that are stored on your system item. There are three security options for cookies that are stored on your system. 7. If you want to accept cookies without being prompted, click Enable. Or, 8. If you do not want to accept cookies, click Disable. (Note that this option may compromise your ability to make purchases online.) Or, 9. If you want to be prompted to accept cookies, click Prompt. 10. Next, notice the Allow per session cookies that are not stored on your system item. There are three security options for per-session cookies. 11. If you want to accept cookies without being prompted, select Enable. Or, 12. If you do not want to accept cookies, select Disable. (Note that this option may compromise your ability to make purchases online.) Or, 13. If you want to be prompted to accept cookies, select Prompt. 14. Click OK to close the Security Settings window. 15. Click OK to close the Internet Options window.
1. Click the Edit menu, then click Preferences... 2. Click the Advanced category. 3. Click to check the box beside Warn me before accepting a cookie. Or, 4. Click the circle beside Disable cookies. (Note that this option may compromise your ability to make purchases online.) 5. Click OK to save your changes.
1. Click the Options menu, then click Network Preferences... 2. Click the Protocols tab. 3. Click to check the box next to Accepting a Cookie. Click OK to save your changes. (Note that with Navigator 3 you cannot turn cookies off.) source: Sympatico
Questions & Answers - Cookies and Temp files Question
1: Question 2:
You may already know this, but for the sake of others here, you should be able to reduce the "temp" junk by adjusting the settings in IE - Internet Explorer. In Version 5.5, select Tools -> Options -> Advanced, scroll down to Security and check "Empty Temporary Internet Files" folder when browser is closed. (The reason this is under Security is because it is an area for others to trace your habits.) As you've already stated, you can cleanup unwanted cookies from sites you don't have bookmarked. You can reduce the History folder in IE to 1 or even 0 days rather than 10 days. In the zero day setting you will still retain history for your active period. You can be sure your deleted mail is compacted. And probably the biggest thing to do is look for programs on your system that you do not use and uninstall them. For example many store bought systems come with every possible national ISP (AOL, Prodigy, Compuserve, MSN, AT&T, etc.) These in particular are frustrating to remove. I use Norton's Clean Sweep for the uninstall. I've used the uninstall feature of Windows but it usually produces less than satisfactory results. Also, some programs don't show up in the uninstall list or you have to manually find the uninstall command. I usually see these listed as "unwise".exe. After uninstallation by whatever means, I do a "find" because there are typically icons strewn around the sytem that don't get removed and consequently they cause errors when windows recognizes there are icons pointing to missing programs. Then I delete them. Removing those programs can give you troubles if you are not careful. That is why I use Norton System Works to track the changes and Adaptec's GoBack to restore back to its previous setting if necessary. I've found some programs that can be manually deleted, but it is not at all recommended. In my opinion, the unused OEM programs that come with your system are the ones that take the most space. Last, I rarely keep files, images, MP3s, downloaded programs etc. on my hard drive. I use removeable media like crazy and keep doubles of important files like organizational or financial data, family history records, etc. Files like these can eat up quite a bit of space also. It may seem like a bit more work, but when things go wrong you've already got backups. I've also learned that you don't have to install every program that you want to use. For example, my partner purchased a graphics program. I liked the editor that the program uses better than most I've used and so I use it. I don't have to install the program, I simply pop in the CD, exit the install, search the CD for the editor program and hit it. (Actually, I've created several shortcuts on my desktop just for such programs. If you transfer the icon from the CD to your system and assign the shortcut to that icon, it will always appear as such, if not, when the CD is not in, the shortcut will only appear as windows default unknown icon.
Cookies are tiny bits of information that the server asks your browser to store for it. Usually, it amounts to data to personalize your experience, or perhaps to save the login information so you don't have to remember it every time. If you say no, some sites won't work, and others will just make you log in time after time. more detailed response: In addition to the above response, you can change your settings to stop from notifying you all the time and simply always accept them or deny them. If you are using Internet Explorer 5 or 5.5 as your web browser, do the following to change your setting: 1. In your browser window select "Tools" in the Menu Bar at the top and select "Internet Options" at the bottom of the drop down menu. (If I remember correctly in version 4 you select "Options" from under "View" on the menu bar.) 2. In the Internet Options window that opens, look for the tab labeled "Security" and click it. 3. Under Security look towards the bottom and select "Custom Level" 4. Scroll down about a quarter of the way and look for "Cookies" 5. Under Cookies you should see "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" and beneath that "Disable", "Enable", and "Prompt". You should presently see a dot in the circle next to "Prompt". 6. Click in the empty circle next to "Enable" or "Disable" and the splashes asking you if you want a cookie will stop. However, when a site recognizes that you are not accepting cookies you may receive another splash advising you to change your settings to accept cookies.
If you use Navigator
this article may be of interest: Any Mac users??
Here's an article with an opposing view point: There is a great deal of software that will capture and/or eliminate cookies. There has been great controversy this year over cookies and resulting law suits. Specifically due to a couple ad companies (Double Click) who track sites that you visit by placing a cookie on your computer at site "A" let's call it. Then when you go to site "B" and that same company provides ads for that page, they see you've been on a page they represent and also can access the stored info because it's their cookie that had been previously placed there. The privacy implications are scary for some and hence the concern by your sister I assume. Here are some links if you want to read an in-depth report, in PC World which published a series of articles called "Privacy Special Report". "In Web We
Trust" "Stealth Surfing"
"Pop Quiz;
How private are you online?" An article on Java: Here's an interesting one on a free cookie blocker that blocks Double Click specifically. Info at: Download at: Another one called
Zeroclick:
I would suggest
Norton System Works which has cookie tracking and deletion capabilities.
I've also used Guard Dog and it works well for that as well. There are
also many free shareware and demo programs available for Cookie Crusher Clean Disk Burnt Cookies Cookie Cleaner Cyber Clean Smart Cookies CookieCop Anonymizer: articles:
What they do with cookies is capture them in a cookie jar, if you will, before they ever get to your computer.
Privacy Online The Internet is fast becoming the dominant medium for business and communication, but it still resembles something of a frontier, because there is little regulation. Most efforts have relied on the Internet industry to police itself. Although there has been some notable success with self-policing, continued abuses have increased calls for government intervention. Some aspects of the Internet could undoubtedly use some regulation, but this task is not as simple as it may seem. The very nature of the Internet--a loose constellation of networks comprising millions of computers flung across the globe--makes it difficult, if not impossible to regulate. At the same time, the absence of regulations means that everyone who uses this essentially public network can be a target for anyone who has the technical know-how and the will to invade their privacy. While the threat from hackers (Hacker is a slang term for a technically sophisticated computer user who enjoys exploring computer systems and programs, sometimes to the point of obsession) is low for individuals, a more serious threat to personal privacy comes from companies that operate websites. Many sites require you to register before you can use its services. Often you must provide personal information, such as your name, street address, and e-mail address. Then as you browse the site, data is collected as to which pages you visited, how long you remained on each page, the links you clicked, what terms you searched, and so on. After a number of visits to the site, a personal profile emerges. The question is, what do site operators do with this information? Most claim that they use it to personalize your experience on the site. For instance, if a gardening site learns that you are interested in heirloom vegetables, the next time you visit the site, you might be presented with an article or advertisements for rare tomatoes. But some websites sell this information to marketers, which means that you may find yourself receiving unwanted catalogs from garden suppliers. Junk mail is more of an annoyance than a serious problem. But what if you read articles about cancer on a health site. Would you want this information revealed to insurance companies? Most people consider that an invasion of privacy. Many sites now post their privacy policies online. Before you reveal any personal information, read the policy to make sure you agree with it. Some sites specifically seek your permission to share your personal data with third parties or to receive e-mail announcements. This is known as "opting in". To avoid this, opt out by checking the "No" box. For more information about consumer privacy, visit TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org/
If you don't want your web surfing behaviour to be tracked without your consent, configure your web browser to reject cookies. A cookie is a small file that is created and installed on your computer's hard drive by a website that wants to collect information about your interaction with the site. As you browse through the site, information is stored in the cookie. The next time you return to the site, that data is transmitted to the site. Only the site that created the cookie can read it, and it does not have access to the other files on your computer. Cookies can be useful for things like storing a password so you don't have to enter it each time you access the site. But cookies are invasive because they are normally set without your consent. To control cookies when using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or 6.0, under the Tools menu, select Internet Options. Now click the Security tab and then click the Custom Level button. Scroll down the list until you see the cookie choices and make the appropriate selection by clicking the boxes. With Netscape Navigator 5.0, under the Edit menu, click on Preferences , then click on Advanced. You can now choose whether to accept or reject all cookies, or to be warned before a cookie is placed on your computer.
Protect the privacy of your electronic communications by using encryption, a form of cryptography. Encryption requires special software to encode your e-mail or any other files you want to send securely over the Internet. The person receiving these files must use the same software to decode them. An excellent reference is the World Wide Web Virtual Library's Cryptography article, which includes an extensive list of related resources. It is available at the following URL: http://world.std.com/~franl/crypto.html If you are interested in efforts to regulate the Internet, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation website at http://www.eff.org/
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