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When information such as a name, hobbies and educational background is voluntarily provided
to a Web site, the information is packaged into a cookie before it is sent and stored in the Web
browser for later use. The next time you visit the same Web site, the browser sends the cookie
to the Web server that uses the information, for example, to present you with customised pages.
Are cookies a threat to privacy?
A cookie is a simple piece of text and by itself represents no threat. Cookies cannot access the
hard drive. The browser can save cookie values to the hard disk, but that is the most it can do
to a notebook. On privacy, Net users can be as anonymous as they want to be. Besides,
nobody can reveal personal information than the user himself. Web servers allow the tracking
of surfing habits and other information that are released and collected. Cookies can be used as
a tracking device, but a cookie does not have the capability to read the hard drive or find
details of your lifestyle.
Can a virus attach itself to cookies?
Viruses attach themselves to program or executable instruction files, and most cookies are
made up of or stored in text and data files. Computer experts say that a cookie has never
hosted or spread a virus, and it is unlikely to happen because cookies do not have a feature
that will make it easy for a virus to attach itself.
For more information, please refer to:
Frequently Asked Questions
→
Computer
Viruses
in this Electronic User’s Guide.
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