When it comes to surfing the Internet, cookies are not what you might think they are. Cookies are pieces of text placed on a Web surfer's computer by a Web site for possible future use by that particular Web site. If you, the surfer, go back and visit that Web site again, the server for that site will grab that piece of text to identify or track you. You can enable and configure cookies in Firefox however you like.

When you enter a Web site using cookies, you may be asked to fill out a form providing personal information; like your name, e-mail address, and interests. This information is packaged into a cookie and sent to your Web browser, which then stores the information for later use. The next time you go to the same Web site, your browser will send the cookie to the Web site. The message is sent back to the site each time the browser requests a page from the server.

These cookies allow the Web sites to use this information to present you with a customized Web page. For example, you might see a welcome page you might see a welcome page with your name on it. Or in this case, the sticker, autograph, and message you normally send for birthdays greetings on MyYearbook.com.

What are Malicious Cookies?
Cookies cannot act maliciously on computers. They are merely text files, generally no larger than 4K, that can be deleted at any time - they are not plug-ins nor are they programs. Cookies cannot be used to spread viruses and they cannot access your hard drive. This does not mean that cookies are not relevant to a user's privacy and anonymity on the Internet. Cookies cannot read your hard drive to find out information about you; however, any personal information that you give to a Web site, including credit card information, will most likely be stored in a cookie unless you have turned off the cookie feature in your browser. In only this way are cookies a threat to privacy. The cookie will only contain information that you freely provide to a Web site.

There is a growing trend of malicious cookies. These types of cookies can be used to store and track your activity online. Cookies that watch your online activity are called malicious or tracking cookies. These are the bad cookies to watch for, because they track you and your surfing habits, over time, to build a profile of your interests. Once that profile contains enough information there is a good chance that your information can be sold to an advertising company who then uses this profile information to target you with interest specific adverts. Many antivirus programs today will flag suspicious spyware or adware cookies when scanning your system for viruses.

There are no Malicious Cookies on this site.