Whats a TRACKING COOKIE?

Question

Everytime i scan my computer for viruses, A LOT of tracking cookies appear. What are they, and how can I get rid of them for good?

Answer 1

HTTP cookies, sometimes known as web cookies or just cookies, are parcels of text sent by a server to a web browser and then sent back unchanged by the browser each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, tracking, and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences and the contents of their electronic shopping carts. The term "cookie" is derived from "magic cookie," a well-known concept in Unix computing which inspired both the idea and the name of HTTP cookies.

Cookies have been of concern for Internet privacy, since they can be used for tracking browsing behavior. As a result, they have been subject to legislation in various countries such as the United States and in the European Union. Cookies have also been criticised because the identification of users they provide is not always accurate and because they could potentially be used for network attacks. Some alternatives to cookies exist, but each has its own drawbacks.

Cookies are also subject to a number of misconceptions, mostly based on the erroneous notion that they are computer programs. In fact, cookies are simple pieces of data unable to perform any operation by themselves. In particular, they are neither spyware nor viruses, despite the detection of cookies from certain sites by many anti-spyware products.

Answer 2

Tracking cookies basically monitor where you go on the internet and create popups realated to that. You can help prevent them by using the Immuminize feature of Spybot. Also get spywareblaster.

Download SpywareBlaster---http://majorgeeks.com/download2859.html

SpywareBlaster doesn't scan and clean for spyware - it prevents it from ever being installed.

It's main features include:
- Prevent the installation of ActiveX-based spyware, adware, browser hijackers, dialers, and other potentially unwanted pests.
- Block spyware/tracking cookies in Internet Explorer and Mozilla/Firefox.
- Restrict the actions of potentially dangerous sites in Internet Explorer.

Answer 3

Wikipedia has a detailed answer for you on what cookies are here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_cookie

You can change your cookie settings in IE and Firefox but then you will be angry when many internet sites don't work. Just run ccleaner frequently to remove all this garbage that the internet site developers want on your PC to track who you are and send you spam. Also set up a proxy server so google and yahoo can't record all your searches to determine who you are. (instructions for setting up a proxy server are found here: http://www.freeproxy.ru/en/free_proxy/howuse.htm )

http://www.ccleaner.com/

Answer 4

I think it's a form of spyware. Some websites you go to track the sites that you visit and deliver e-mail (SPAM) based on the sites you visit. You can use an anti-spyware program to block these types of trackers. You can also delete your cookies from your browser. If you have Internet Explorer, go to "Tools" then "Internet Options" and "Delete temporary files."