While working for the Netscape Lou Montulli invented the cookies in 1994 in order to monetize the website and make it a remunerative business. In the initial phase of its use, it was not widely known to the public, as it was used surreptitiously, and as a result it dtd not attract any adverse attention of the users. The website would not inform the user about the use of cookies and the user’s acceptance of cookies use was by default. Its grey was small and tentacles were few and short during the nascent phase. Aversion to cookies gradually rose only after the Financial Times (USA) published an article about cookies in 1996. Now there are elaborate laws for data protection to protect the net users from imperceptible presence of the cookies behind the screen. Now wwebsites have their cookies policy.
The website asks the user if the accept the cookies or not. If the user clicks, AGREE/ACCEPT ALL/YES, the browser will create the cookies. If you do not accept, you can visit the website in most of the cases but the website may not function as intended. The cookies will start tracking your net usage and store the data only you accept the cookies. The cookies would be stored on your PC (locally) or would be transmitted to the host server. When you visit the same website again, cookies will come into play. The cookies saved locally on the device or transferred from the server, will help you to fill up the form, login data, preference of language, etc and will also continue further to garner and accumulate more and more your tracking data while you are surfing the net. The “enriched” cookies will be stored locally on the device or on the host server, waiting to jump into your browser as and when you access the website next time. Quite smart and stealthy creature!
Types of cookies (Without classifying the cookies in a particular class):
[1] Necessary / Required Cookies
These are the basic cookies and without them the functioning of the website will be sub-optimal as they enable the basic functions of the website. This type of cookies cannot be disabled.
[2] Statistical / Analytics Cookies
These cookies are used for collecting data regarding the interaction of the user with the website and reporting the same anonymously. This helps to measure the activity of the users and improve the functionality of the website.
[3] Marketing Cookies
Primary purpose of these cookies is for marketing of products and services and depict relevant ad. They collect data on user behavior and interest and prepare User Profile and show ad/ link / banner as per the profile. Apart from marketing intelligence, various demographic, social and political profitable inferences can also be drawn.
[4] First-Party Cookies
Some cookies may pack more of a threat than others depending on where they come from. First-party cookies are used by the website user is using. These are less risky if the website is reputed one and have not been compromised.
[5] Third-Party Cookies
Irrespective of clicking by the user, the ad / link / banner on the website generate the cookies which are called Third-party cookies. They are more shrewd and risky. If there are, say 5 cookies on the website, 5 cookies will be generated even if the user does not click any of them. They help the advertisers or Analysts track netizens, browsing data across the web on any sites that display their ads.
[6] Zombie cookies
These cookies are bit pervert and would get generated without users’ Acceptance. They are Third-party and stay permanently on users' computers. Like a phoenix bird, they would get regenerated even after deleting. They are also known as “flash cookies” and are extremely difficult to remove. These cookies can be deployed to prevent the certain users.
[7] Session cookies
These cookies are “ephemeral” in terms longevity and according they are also called 'temporary cookies'. They store the user’s data for a particular session of use of the website and on closure of the browser, they are deleted. They are used for shopping from online stores.
[8] Permanent cookies
They will be stored on the device even after the web site is has closed. They store login ID and passwords so that web users don't need to re-enter them on next visit of the website. They are required to be deleted after certain months as prescribed in the data protection laws of the respective country.
[9] Tracking Cookies
If you are an avid net user, you must have registered / subscribed for a particular interest with a particular organisation/website. While you are doing this, Tracking Cookies are generated. Next day you would find lots of unsolicited promotional marketing material in your email account from many organisations from nook and corner of the world. The data generated by Tracking Cookies are shared by other unintended organisations/websites also, for pre-arranged mutual gains or otherwise.
How to block cookies:
The cookies serve useful purposes but your personal data are vulnerable to misuse. So you might have some aversion to them. If that is the case, when you visit the website, you can decline the acceptance to all the cookies (Except Necessary) but the performance of the website will be sub-optimal. Or you can Accept only particular type of cookies. This type of functionality is available in all the popular browsers in Settings.
Removing / Deleting the Cookies:
Cookies can be removed but bear in mind that your interface with the website will not be so smooth in their absence. Though, it is very difficult to remain anonymous / incognito while using the web, it is advisable to delete the Cookies to protect your privacy. This functionality is available in the browsers (generally under History > Clear Browsing Data).
Data security while on net:
It is pertinent to add here that use of public Wi-Fi is more susceptible to eavesdropping / hacking of personal data while use of VPN provides more cyber security to personal data. Likewise, TLS / HTTPS also provides more cyber security as the data is transmitted in encrypted format.
What are Cookies?
Putting the complex digital concept in simple words: Cookies are a small text file created by the browser to keep track of user’s language preference, login information, surfing behavior, usage of apps, shopping behavior, clicks on links/ads/banners, IP addresses, geographical location, currency, interests, due date of renewal of payable installed tools/software, etc while the user is surfing a website in order to use these data later, when the user visits the website again, in order to streamline the delivery of curated/tailored content, focused search results, relevant information and marketing ads, better feedback/communication, improved site performance/browsing satisfaction and, in most of the cases to manipulate the user’s data for a small pecuniary gains, for the website, through commission based on Pay Per Click.
Why were cookies invented?
Initially it was invented to keep track of the things an online shopper puts in the virtual shopping cart (say purchases) in a particular session of online shopping. Really a useful tool and true to their name, cookies were initially not despised by the net users. With the advent of IT, cookies were exploited to serve wider purposes.
It can store the data of the websites visited, frequency, duration, time, purpose, preferences, shopping behavior, pattern of navigation from host website to third party advertisements/banners/tags/links, etc. Host website can keep track of clicks on the ads and generate revenue on the basis of Pay Per Click (PPC). The cookies help fill up the forms on net as the cookies, based upon the past usages, knows what data are to be filled up and as soon as you open the form, the data are automatically filled in – auto populated. If the cookies have doubts if there more alternative probable choices, they show the choice which user can fill up just by clicking from the drop down list.
Cookies can also help decide the host server what pages to send in case of searching on net. It is like a family doctor who knows more about your health than you do and would diagnose the disease better with least questions asked. Now the flip side: as is the case with many of modern inventions, unscrupulous people have exploited the cookies into harming tools for undue gains. In beginning period of use of the cookies, they were gradually sneaked into the website, without an informed consent of the user and put to malicious use: as a stalking tool to track the online behavior of the netizens. They generate and store data regarding the net user’s online behavior and many sensitive information. The unscrupulous people / organization sells these data for money and put the data security of the unsuspecting net users at risk. Data is very important input for devising marketing strategy, political campaign, business rivalry, product innovation, Public Policy, etc. Depending upon the level of the negligence of the net users, design of the website and architecture of the host server, the data can be also misused to a wider extent.
The cookies are a micro cyber version of famous fictional detective Mr Sherlock Holmes. Though this cannot be generalized in the cases all websites using cookies, risk remains there as the hunger for users personal data is increasing day by day, coupled with sophisticated methods of hacking and network eavesdropping. As the science of Data Analytics is becoming stronger, so the need for data. Better to be aware and beware.
Conclusion:
There are strict laws for data protection in all the countries but still misuse of personal data collected through the cookies is rampant.
The cookies are necessary evil. Be on own guard.
(The comments of the readers are welcome at gnpatel@gujaratinfotech.com)
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