Anonymity Tips: Remove Cookies

HTTP cookies, or more commonly referred to as Web cookies, tracking cookies or just cookies, are parcels of text sent by a server to a Web client (usually a browser) and then sent back unchanged by the client each time it accesses that server. HTTP cookies are used for authenticating, session tracking (state maintenance), and maintaining specific information about users, such as site preferences or 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. (www.wikipedia.com)

Cookies have expiration period, which means they will remove themselves from your computer after passing certain limit of time. This is for the sake of your security in case you forget to logout from your internet account. You can further edit your browsers’ expiration of cookies setting. You can choose to let them expire by themselves or after the end of your current session. Also, you can manually delete them at any moment you want to.

Browsers commonly have the setting to accept or reject cookies. Rejecting cookies will make some certain websites unable to provide service properly, for example shopping websites, websites which requires login, etc. For the rest there’s no problem. Rejecting third party cookies (which are used to track multiple website visits, usually for ads) commonly cause no problem and increase your security.

Many internet attack use cookies as the device, such as cookie hijacking, cookie poisoning, cross site cooking, etc. Cookies theft is highly dangerous toward your security, as it contain potential harm of internet attack. Cookies can be used to track your IP’s activity during your internet session. If you forget to logout from your web account, it won’t be good.

In summary, despite of their use, cookies posses some drawbacks which can threat your security, so if you want to increase your protection, you might want to reject cookies when you don’t need them, and use them only when you must, thus, saving you from unnecessary threat.

If you look for another ways to secure your internet sessions, Google provides many trusted links toward them on the upper right of this page. Fell free to check them out.

Free IP Checking

Recently, plenty websites provides free service to check your IP address. You can easily use them to check your IP. You might want to use these websites to find out what information about you is transmitted over the web. You can also measure your security’s vulnerability. If you use a proxy server or anonymous tool/service, you can check whether it’s working or not.

However, these websites provides different features. Some can show the country, state, and city where you are. Some can even show a satellite image of your current location and clearly point out your roof. Some can also find out your exact latitude and longitude position, maybe in case if someone want to fire a long distance missile toward you :p. These websites can also show your operating system and browser type.

Each of these websites has their own special feature. Some provide you with unique tool such as a trace route, which traces your connection all the way to the website’s server, with each ping time of the terminals. Some uses simple and easy to use design, to maximize access speed.

This access speed depends to many aspects. If the website is showing a map / satellite image, it may be a bit slower than a simple websites without map/images. If many people are using the service from the same website, it also decreases access speed. Depending to your connection and situation, you might want to use the one with acceptable speed.

We have provided you some links to these websites. What you need to do is to find the one which is suitable for your need. Feel free to try.