Many people wonder if cookies are harmful to their computers. The answer is usually no, but it’s not as simple as it seems. While cookies are often stored in text files, are only used to track information that has already been provided to various websites, and are set to expire in short periods of time, they can be used for malicious purposes in certain cases. You will need to work with cookies; however, if you know when to remove them and when not to, you can still enjoy the convenience they provide.
When cookies are good
Websites and browsers use cookies to store basic information about your use of the Internet. If you visit an online pet store and often look at cat products, the store will set a cookie that saves your preferences and tracks which pages you look at, not only telling the company what your customers see, but also giving you targeted results. on the front page.
Also, browsers use cookies to store login information that you may not want to enter repeatedly. If you ever click the “Save Password” button below a login form, you are setting a cookie on your computer that will automatically insert your password into the fields. For those with multiple logins, this can be convenient and time-saving.
Also, voluminous information such as IP addresses and browser preferences for a website can be stored in a cookie, saving time when loading a website you frequently visit. Cookies are generally used as a shortcut to upload information you have already provided to a website, which does not present any security risk on well-known and established websites.
When cookies are bad
It is on websites that are not well known and established that cookies can become a concern. Because they can be installed without your knowledge, cookies can be installed by a third party from a website that is less than desirable. If you enter login information on a website that places a cookie on your computer for malicious purposes, that person may take the information stored in that cookie and try to use it to steal other pieces of your information. This is easily resolved in most cases by setting a higher security level for cookies, which requires the browser to prompt you before saving any cookies to your browser or hard drive.
Another possible way that cookies can negatively affect your computer is when they are stored on your hard drive for too long. Generally, the information there is safe because they are non-executable text files. However, if malware or spyware is installed on your computer, it may access those cookies and begin to retrieve your login, email, and personal information and send it to whoever installed the spyware.
Be safe with cookies
Cookies are necessary to run an Internet browser. They make it possible to visit most websites and can actually speed up and make your browsing experience more secure. To feel more comfortable and secure with them on your computer, you should set your browser to delete cookies more frequently. Some can save up to 30 or 60 days automatically. With a third-party privacy tool or by setting your browser to delete them every day, you can remove them from your hard drive before anyone can access and use your information. Combined with a good spyware removal tool and sensible browsing habits, you can overcome the potential negative effects that cookies can have on you and your PC’s privacy.
