Here is look at Internet cookies.

What's a cookie, anyway? When we browse a website, a conversation is going on between your web browser and the website's server. Data is being exchanged to and fro, and your browser processes and renders a visual representation of that data right before your eyes. Sometimes a website will need to store various bits and pieces of information about you, such as your user name, your IP address, last login time, et al.

This information is usually stored in a small file called a "cookie" which is tucked away in a local folder on your computer where your browser can find it when it needs to send that information back to the website. How can this benefit you, the average web surfer?

Well, suppose you log into a subscription news service, and you'd like the news that only pertains to the tech industry and US events. If the news website is able to store a cookie on your computer, then it'll know it's you that's logging in, and the site will be prepared to serve up the news you want, filtering out everything you haven't specified in your account.

This is the magic and convenience of cookies!

While cookies can behoove you in terms of convenience, there are also "bad cookies" whose sole purpose is to gather data gleaned from your web surfing habits, so that advertisements can be specially tailored to your tastes.

These cookies are placed on your hard drive by advertising companies with many clients that would love nothing more than to serve up an advertising buffet right to your browser. Given enough cookies on your computer, a company can collect and store a lot of information about your web surfing habits.

Doesn't this sound like a blatant invasion of your privacy? Sure, you can discard all cookies after a surfing session, but this means you'll also destroy the "good cookies", which automatically log you into your favorite site, or serve up the news you'd like to read when perusing the New York Times' website. So, the question now becomes this: how do I erase the "bad cookies" while keeping the "good cookies"?

Current Web Browsers

Today's current and most popular browsers--IE 6/7 and Firefox 1.x and 2--come equipped with cookie handling features that really come in handy. Internet Explorer has a nifty feature that'll let you distinguish and store first-party cookies, but will discard all third-party cookies, which are the ones you want wiped away if you want one iota of privacy on the web.

In IE, navigate to the main menu and select Tools, Internet Options, Privacy, and Advanced; here you'll be able to tweak out all of Internet Explorer's significant cookie handling capabilities. Under the Advanced Privacy Settings window, select "Override automatic cookie handling"; next, under "First-party Cookies", choose Accept and check "Block" for the "Third-part Cookies" option.

Firefox 2 takes another tack to cookie handling. The Fox can alert you as to when a website sends a cookie storage request, and Firefox will prompt you as to whether you'd like the cookie kept or tossed into the cookie jar of oblivion.

Under Firefox's main menu, select Tools, Options, and Privacy; from here, make sure you check "Accept Cookies" checkbox, and select "I close Firefox" under the "Keep Until" drop down list.

Firefox also allows you to specify exactly which websites you'd like it to allow cookies from; select "Exceptions" to get the necessary dialog box; next, enter in the website addresses you'd like to accept cookies from.

When surfing the massive world wide web, your browser is exchanging considerable amount of data, some of which will be information stored in cookies. Learn to distinguish between the "good"and "bad" cookies, and cast the "bad" ones from your hard drive forever.

Major Jane Raymond USAFA

MER/IT

UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Information contained in this document is designated by the Department of Defense (DoD) as For Official Use Only (FOUO) and may not be released to anyone without the prior permission of NHQ CAP and/or CAP-USAF.

LINKS OR REFERENCES TO INDIVIDUALS OR COMPANIES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF ANY PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM SUCH SOURCES.

Copyright (c) 1993-2007 TSR Computers Inc. All rights reserved. For information on this website please email webmaster@mer.cap.gov