A beginners guide to cookies: Accept or Reject?

Cookies may sound deliciously appealing on the surface. Allowing cookies on your devices and browser have a sweet side and occasional bitter aftertaste if not managed properly.

First, the basics of how cookies work with browsers will go a long way to helping know when to accept or reject them.

While cookies are designed in the hopes of giving you a more pleasurable browsing or surfing experience, many have feared that accepting cookies means that you are willingly giving away your personal information, and making yourself vulnerable to hackers and malware. But is this true?

What exactly are cookies?

In a nutshell, cookies are text files, which are used to collect data. Cookies begin storing information upon your connection to the website, labeling your data with an ID uniquely related to your computer. This allows the website to gather information unique to you and your previous activity on the website.

Websites use cookies primarily to make your web browsing experience more pleasurable by tracking how you used the website. If you return, they can promote and display things based on your previous visit by recognizing your computer.

For example, if you visited an online store, on your next visit, the website can promote items they think you might like based on what you previously viewed or purchased. Most websites also use cookies as a means of making their website more navigable and accessible to the broader public.

How exactly do cookies work

Once you log on to a website, your web server transfers the cookie to your browser
Your computer then stores the cookie on your hard drive.

There are three major types of cookies you will likely come across while surfing the internet:

Persistent Cookie

These cookies store data for an extended period
They come with an expiration date, anywhere from a few days to a few years after your first visit

Session Cookies

Session cookies last only as long as your browser is open
Once you close your browser, all of your information will be deleted.

Third-Party Cookies

Also known as “tracking cookies”, these cookies track your wider online behavior
Information collected from a single website visit is shared with advertisers
This advertiser will then be able to promote items on your social media based on your browsing history.

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When cookies become problems

The potential of your browsing history and other sensitive information to be easily tracked poses a privacy and security risk. Namely, they collect a lot of your personal information, including your IP address, browsing history, and should you have been tracked by third-party cookies, your information can be sold to advertisers who will then target you.

Cookies are not immune to cyberattacks. A more dangerous scenario is when your computer or device is not secured with strong passwords and up-to-date security software. This information could potentially be accessed by cybercriminals who are skilled at prying into cookies that store credit card, financial login credentials, and other sensitive information.

If privacy and security weren’t concerning enough, there is also a risk that a cookie could cause problems with website performance. This can happen when you have a large amount of cookies stored on your device causing the browser you use to experience a slowdown.

When should I not allow cookies?

Many websites will not allow you to access them without accepting cookies. And as long as it is a secure, trusted website, allowing cookies enabled should pose no threat. If a website you visit seems strange or untrustworthy you should not allow cookies. One easy way of determining this is by checking the website address in your browser. Make sure there is a lock at the beginning of the URL address. This means that all data on the website is encrypted.

You may at times be prompted to enable or accept third-party cookies. These are the type of cookies that target you the most. It’s probably best to decline to accept third-party cookies if you want to be extra cautious since you have no control over where your information might end up.

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Is it possible for me to manage my cookies?

Thankfully, Google Chrome (Desktop) like many browsers has an easy way for you to manage stored cookies

Click the Chrome Menu
Click Preferences
Click Privacy And Security

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Click Cookies and Other Site Data

Mac screenshot

Here you will have several options, including whether or not to block all cookies.

Mac screenshot

Blocking all cookies isn’t recommended as it might make accessing certain websites impossible, and make logging into websites you visit frequently less convenient. Blocking third-party cookies prevents your browsing activity across multiple sites to be recorded easily.

How to manage cookies on all your devices

Mac: To clear cookies on a Mac, you can follow these steps:

Safari: Open the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Settings, then click Privacy. Click Manage Website Data. Select one or more websites, then click Remove or Remove All.

Chrome: Click the three-dot icon menu in the upper-right corner to get the Chrome menu, and select More tools > Clear browsing data. In the pop-up box, check off the third and fourth boxes to delete cookies and clear cached images and files. Select a timeframe from the menu at the top.

Firefox: Click on the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap on Settings. Scroll down to the Privacy section. Tap on Clear Private Data. Select Cache and Cookies. Tap on Clear Private Data Now.

PC: To clear cookies on a PC, you can follow these steps:

Safari: To manage your cookies, go to Safari’s Preferences. In the Preferences menu, click on the Privacy tab. To prevent third-party trackers from using cookies to track you, click the Prevent cross-site tracking box. Clear cookies by clicking into Manage Website Data.

Chrome: Click the three-dot icon menu in the upper-right corner to get the Chrome menu, and select More tools > Clear browsing data. In the pop-up box, check off the third and fourth boxes to delete cookies and clear cached images and files. Pick a timeframe from the menu at the top.

Firefox: Click on the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner of the screen. Tap on Settings. Scroll down to the Privacy section. Tap on Clear Private Data. Select Cache and Cookies. Tap on Clear Private Data Now.

iPhone: To clear cookies on an iPhone, you can follow these steps:

Safari: Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap on Safari. Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section. Tap on Clear History and Website Data to clear your browsing history, cookies, and other browsing data in Safari.

Chrome: Open Chrome app on your iPhone. Tap three dots in top right corner of screen. Tap Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data > Cookies and site data (uncheck the other items)> Clear data

Firefox: Open Firefox app on your iPhone. Tap on three horizontal lines in bottom right corner. Tap on Settings > Tap on Clear Private Data > Check Cookies & Active Logins > Uncheck the other items > Tap on Clear Private Data Now.

Android: To clear cookies on an Android device, you can follow these steps:

Chrome: Open Chrome app on your Android device. Tap three dots in top right corner of screen. Tap Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data > Cookies and site data > Clear data

Ways to keep your private information safe

While your information on encrypted sites is the safest, particularly if you have third-party cookies blocked, we still might find ourselves accidentally allowing cookies on an unsafe website. That instantly puts our online safety at risk. There are two ideal ways to keep yourself protected should this happen to you.

Use a VPN

A virtual private network, or VPN, hides your IP address by re-routing your data through an encrypted tunnel. This makes your online and browser history next to impossible to track. I choose ExpressVPN as the best VPN. Benefits of a VPN include:

adds a layer of enhanced security
prevents Internet service providers from monitoring your online activity
offers a way around geo-fencing blocks
can help increase your connection speeds

Install trusted antivirus software for safer browsing

Having reliable antivirus protection running on your computer is best at warning you if a website you are visiting is trustworthy or not before you are even able to give your personal information to an untrustworthy site.

One of the top antivirus apps for all devices including both Android and iPhone is TotalAV. Their product is full of features to keep you safe from malware and protect you when browsing the internet including ransomware protection, real-time antivirus protection, elimination of viruses and malware, a tool to free up your computer’s space, plus more. Read my review of Best Antivirus picks here.