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The “remember me on this computer” checkbox on websites can be safe for TV chat forums or clipart websites, but not for online banking or personal information sites. Cookies store login information, so it’s best to avoid using this feature on public computers or shared devices. Consider using a password manager instead.
Websites that require registration often have a checkbox that the user can tick so that they don’t have to re-enter their username and password on subsequent visits. The text could say “remember me on this computer” or words to that effect. Whether or not you click this box is safe depends on the type of site you read, the type of information shared, and whether people other than the one you remember accessed your computer.
If your web browser is configured to allow cookies, when a user chooses to be remembered, the website creates a cookie with the user’s registration information. A computer cookie is a small text file that resides on the user’s machine with a copy stored on the website server. The next time the user visits the site, the browser automatically delivers the cookie upon arrival. The website allows automatic login because the web browser has basically handed it the user’s credentials.
In many cases this is fine. For example, if the website is a TV chat forum, a syndicated newspaper, or a clipart website, there is likely to be no harm as long as the computer is not public. If the website contains personal information about you, choosing to “remember me on this computer” is probably a bad idea. Also, people should never click this box if they’re using a public computer, such as at a library or Internet cafe.
Online banking, web email accounts, and online retailers are all examples of websites where computer users probably don’t want automatic access. If someone uses the computer and visits the site (probably easily found in your bookmarks), it will automatically be logged into the owner’s account. This will give the person instant access to private information, possibly including bank details and other financial records.
Assuming all family members are reliable, there’s still reason to avoid ticking the box. If the computer has to be left for repairs, if it is stolen, or if visitors ask to use it, everyone has access to the accounts. This is especially true for terminals at work. Automatically logging into sensitive sites can expose you to unnecessary risk.
For maximum protection, it’s best to reserve “remember me on this computer” for sites that contain no personally identifiable information. People who have trouble remembering login information may want to consider downloading a program designed to hold usernames and passwords in encrypted form. There are some free and open source programs available. Open source programs make their source code publicly available online so it can be extensively audited for bugs and security holes.
