Free Internet help - Internet Cookies Explained

What are internet cookies?

Internet cookies are very simple, but they are one of those things that have taken on a life of their own. Cookies started receiving tremendous media attention a few years ago because of Internet privacy concerns.

Internet Cookies do more good than harm

Internet cookies provide capabilities that make the Web much easier to navigate. The webmasters of almost every major site use them because they provide a better user experience and make it much easier to gather accurate information about the site's visitors. This information is usually limited to user preferences such as customized page settings, zip code, etc.

Internet cookies cannot 'do' anything

Simply put, internet cookies are text files (the most simple type of file). A website will 'drop' a cookie into your hard drive that stores a unique ID so that the next time you visit that website it can remember you. There is usually no personally identifying information stored in a cookie.

Do I need to worry about internet cookies on my pc?

Compared to today's problems on the internet such as viruses, spyware, hackers, and identity theft, internet cookies are the lowest on the list of things to be paranoid about. If you have taken all the standard security precautions on our website, internet cookies should not be your most pressing concern.

Learn to hide your tracks on the internet

More technical reading on internet cookies.

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