Privacy is a fundamental factor for users on the Internet. Today our data is of great value online and the truth is that there are many methods through which you can obtain information. Those data can be sold to third parties, used for advertising purposes or include users in spam campaigns. Now, when it comes to browsing web pages, it is one of the most important focuses. There is what is known as a cookie. We are going to talk about it in this article. Can cookies on a web page really affect our privacy?
The importance of maintaining privacy online
First of all, we must remember the importance of maintaining privacy online . Sometimes we can make mistakes that can compromise our data. For example, by registering on sites that are not safe, giving personal data on social networks and that are exposed, such as our e-mail or phone number, also using platforms that can share our data, etc.
Many companies use methods precisely to collect data from users. Then that information can be used for profit, to sell the information to third parties, to include users in spam lists, etc. The methods they use to obtain this data are very varied. Sometimes they can even infect systems with malware to collect all kinds of information.
However, as we have indicated, it is when browsing the Internet that we can easily expose our data . There are cookies that can collect information from us when we enter a page or use a service. To what extent can this affect our privacy?
What are a website cookies
Regardless if we are using social networks, reading news, using any online service or platform, we will always find cookies . At first they will not represent a major threat to users. However, as can happen with passwords for example, they could be exploited in case of any vulnerability or leak.
When we talk about web page cookies we are basically referring to small files that store information when entering a page. They keep small pieces of data depending on how we interact with that site to later facilitate navigation. For example, if we enter a website and configure a section, we log in, add products to a future purchase, etc. All this can be stored and in this way when you re-enter it will remain the same.
However, this fact has always had an impact on privacy. Does it really affect our data and can therefore put our privacy at risk? Are they safe while browsing the Internet?
We must start from what we mentioned regarding dangerousness. At first, cookies are not going to put our security at risk. Basically it is a protocol used on the Internet that facilitates communication between servers and users. A cookie could not send malware or any file that could harm us in any way.
However, it could be the case that cookies are intercepted and may even be falsified. This means that another user could impersonate us on a web page. It could, in short, put our privacy at risk. They may secretly collect personal data or even hijack our credentials.
The security of these cookies depend mainly on the website. In principle there would be nothing to worry about. However, there are tracking cookies, which can track our actions on a web page. They could create a profile of ours based on browsing history and then send us targeted advertising, for example. This could say that to some extent it affects our privacy, since they would be in some way spying on our navigation to collect data about our tastes, what sites we visit or what searches we carry out.
In short, cookies are tools that are very present in navigation. At first they will not affect our security and privacy, although it is true that they can obtain certain information to facilitate navigation or send us targeted advertising.