COOKIE_281

What is a cookie?

Cookies are small text files that are created on a user’s system whenever they visit a web site. It’s a way for that website to remember its visitors and all that they do on it, so the next time they visit, the website automatically recognizes them and lets them see and continue where they left off. It’s such a subtle process that, by default, users don’t even notice it.

Cookies are also used to track users’ browsing activity through multiple sites for marketing purposes. This lets internet advertisers figure out what sort of ads that the user would be more interested in, and display them accordingly.

Do cookies pose as threats?

By themselves, cookies are harmless, and are there simply for the ease and convenience of the user’s browsing experience. However, they can be considered as a threat to your privacy, as the cookies from certain ad networks can keep track of your online activities. This in itself can be considered a violation of a user’s privacy.

Cybercriminals can also utilize malware and browser attacks in the past to steal cookies. They do this to impersonate users on the websites they frequent, ‘fooling’ the website into automatically providing the compromised user’s personal information. WORM_KOOBFACE, for example, did exactly this to hijack users’ Facebook accounts and post on people’s walls without their authorization.

NOTES:

Data Miners (tracking cookies) are cookies that are used by two or more websites to track a user's Web habits for the purpose of providing the user with ads or other material that the user might be interested in.

Similar to adware, data miners can collect a user's information for a third-party recipient.

This cookie is installed when you visit the following URL:

• advertising.com