Internet cookies allow users to perform tasks on websites, but experts recommend deleting them for privacy and security reasons. Cookies can be manually deleted or using external software. Clearing cookies protects privacy and prevents potential security breaches.
Internet cookies are small sections of text which are downloaded to your computer when you visit various websites. In many cases, these cookies allow you to perform certain tasks while you are on a website, such as viewing photos, posting messages or placing an order at an online shop. However, Internet users are often advised to delete cookies from their hard drives from time to time. There are a couple of ways you can go about accomplishing this task.
One approach is to manually delete cookies from your hard drive. This process is usually very simple and very fast. Most of the popular search engines make it very easy to access what is known as a temporary internet file. This file is where the collected cookies are hosted. Locate the selection marked to delete cookies and review that selection. By clicking on the delete function associated with your particular search engine, you can delete all cookies from the system at once.
However, if you only want to delete selected cookies, you can also manage this activity by highlighting a specific cookie in the list present in the file. Once the cookie is highlighted, simply press the delete key and authorize the removal. While this approach takes longer to clear cookies from your hard drive, it does allow you to keep cookies on the sites you visit regularly.
You can also clean your cookies using an external software product. This is sometimes a good option if you use multiple search engines. Internet Cleaner can be set to examine the cookies associated with each search engine installed on your system, notify you of the contents and allow you to proceed with the cleaning. Some cookie cleaning tools even allow you to review and select which cookies to keep and which to remove from your hard drive.
One of the reasons some experts recommend deleting cookies from your hard drive is that they see the presence of cookies as an invasion of privacy. This is because some cookies allow the website to remember you when you return to the site a second time. For example, if you need to log into a site to make a purchase or access a forum, cookies may allow the site to remember your username. This means that you only need to enter your access code to complete the entry.
These people may also feel that keeping cookies for longer periods of time could create potential security breaches. This is because some cookies not only remember usernames, but also other information. Hackers may be able to gain unauthorized access to the server where your website is hosted, seize the data, and then use it however they please.
As part of basic cleanup, it’s a good idea to delete cookies from your hard drive. Although the amount of resources used by cookies is minimal, it can increase if you never delete any cookies. Also, clearing your cookies from time to time protects your privacy. While it may mean a few extra seconds to log into your favorite sites, the fact that no one can track your movements based on cookies is well worth the time.
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