Internet Security – Cookies

Cookies are files, generally from the visited webpages, which are stored on a user's
computer. They hold a small amount of data, specific to a particular client and website,
and can be accessed either by the web server or the client computer which can be
usernames, password, session token, etc.
This allows the server to deliver a page personalized to a particular user, or the page itself
can contain some script which is aware of the data in the cookie and so is able to carry
information from one visit to that website.
Types of Cookies

There are three different types of cookies:

 Session Cookies: These are mainly used by online shops and allows you to keep
items in your basket when shopping online. These cookies expire after a specific
time or when the browser is closed.
 Permanent Cookies: These remain in operation, even when you have closed the
browser. They remember your login details and password so you don’t have to type
them in every time you use the site. It is recommended that you delete these type
of cookies after a specific time.
 Third-Party Cookies: These are installed by third parties for collecting certain
information. For example: Google Maps.
The following screenshot shows where the data of a cookie is stored and to do this, I have
used a plugin of Firefox which is called Cookies Manager+. It shows the date when a cookie
will expire.