6. What type of information is stored and accessed through cookies?

Cookies keep information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The webserver will recognize your browser until the cookie expires or is deleted. The cookie stores important information that improves the Internet browsing experience (eg: settings of the language in which you want to access a site; keeping a user logged in to the webmail account; online banking security; keeping products in the shopping cart, etc.).

7. Why are cookies important for the Internet?

Cookies are the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience and adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Denying or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use.

Denying or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – but only that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests, highlighted by your browsing behavior.

Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require authentication of a user through an account):

• Content and services tailored to user preferences – categories of news, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services.

• Offers tailored to the interests of users – retention of passwords, language preferences (eg displaying search results in Romanian).

• Retaining child protection filters on Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).

• Limiting the frequency of ad serving – limiting the number of hits of an advertisement for a particular user on a site.

• Providing more relevant advertising to the user.

• Measurement, optimization and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed and how a user reaches a website (eg through search engines, directly, from other websites, etc.). Websites run these analyzes of their use to improve sites for the benefit of users.

• Security and confidentiality issues

Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code, so they cannot be executed, nor can they auto-run. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks, to be run or replicated again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about the preferences and browsing history of users, both on a specific site and on several other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies to be deleted during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures. In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a certain site.

8. Other security aspects related to cookies

Since identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every internet user, it is advisable to know what possible problems cookies can create. Because through them, information is constantly transmitted in both directions between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes during data transmission, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (eg an unsecured WiFi network). Other cookie-based attacks involve missetting cookies on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. The attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most suitable method of personal information protection.

9. Tips for safe and responsible browsing, based on cookies.

Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and largest sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Deactivating cookies will not allow the user access to the most widespread and used sites, including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.

Here are some tips that can ensure that you surf without worries but with the help of cookies:

• Customize your browser settings regarding cookies to reflect a comfortable level of cookie security for you.

• If you don’t mind cookies and you are the only person using the computer, you can set long expiration periods for storing browsing history and personal access data.

• If you share access to the computer, you may consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close the browser. This is an option to access the sites that place cookies and to delete any visit information when closing the browsing session.

 • Install and constantly update your antispyware applications.

Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include detection of attacks on websites. Thus, it prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit the vulnerabilities of the browser or download dangerous software. Make sure your browser is always updated. Many of the attacks based on cookies are carried out by exploiting the weak points of the old versions of the browsers. Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of how they operate and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can surf the Internet with confidence.

10. How can I stop cookies?

Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make certain websites impractical or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive/see online advertising. It is possible to set the browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a specific site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments. All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the “options” or “preferences” menu of your browser. To understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise you can use the “help” option of the browser for more details.

• Cookie settings in Internet Explorer

• Cookie settings in Firefox

• Cookie settings in Chrome

• Cookie settings in Safari

For cookie settings generated by third parties, you can also consult the website www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/where you can find more information on privacy related to online advertising.