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Cookies refer to one or more small pieces of data that identify your computer to a website with a unique code. The cookies are sent by a web server to your device while you’re on that server’s website. Your computer stores that cookie and, when you visit that website again, the server can recognize that the device is the same one as was used previously.

Cookies are generally broken into two groups:

• Session cookies, which expire immediately after you’re done being online
• Persistent cookies, which stick with you during many different web sessions

Cookies can be extremely useful. For example, authentication cookies, allow a user who logs into a website to click and view multiple pages on the site without having to re-authenticate each time he or she tries to access another page requiring authentication. Cookies can also allow a site to remember a user’s username without authenticating the user, or other personalization preferences.

Cookies are heavily utilized by marketing firms who can target your interests and buying habits. Cookies are the reason why you might be eyeing a new pair of sandals on one website and then see ads for that same pair of sandals when you’re on other websites. That proves cookies aren’t always great. Privacy issues are one thing to consider. Many sites now use third-party cookies. Many sites, for example, may present banner ads from the same ad provider, and the code from that provider can send and receive cookies to run on all of those sites, enabling it to track your activity across multiple sites. According cybersecurity specialists, it is best to know who is following your activities, and you should review and clean out cookies that may be unwanted.

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You can read more about cookies and how to delete them here.

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