Microsoft Internet Explorer - as all modern browsers - store
small text files called "cookies" on your hard drive that allow
web site publishers to remember your settings and preferences to
allow customize their web sites according to your personal
wishes. Cookies are also used to remember your user name and
password so you don't have to enter it again, weather sites use
it to "remember" what city you want the weather for.
These are all potentially "good" things - things that can help
make your browsing experience easier, and thus, better.
Not all cookies do things to help you. There are some sites
(more and more now days) that share their cookie information
with other sites. This basically means that they can track where
you go - thus creating a profile on your surfing habits. If they
combine this data with all the other public data on you - it's
possible that they can figure out your name, email address, and
other things that you didn't give them permission to know.
The fact is - your computer probably contains hundreds of
cookies right now. The good new is that you are in 100% control
of how your browser handles cookies and you can choose to allow
"good" cookies and block "bad" cookies.
I'll be honest with you - if you choose to go down this road,
depending on how tightly you want to control things - you'll
have to give up some of the "ease of use" you're accustomed to.
For example, you'll have to enter your own passwords; some
shopping sites may or may not work; and some site may refuse to
load at all. However, most "main stream" sites have ways to
allow you in, to allow you to shop WITHOUT using cookies. These
are the types of sites you probably want to visit, anyway!
In a nutshell - you're going to need to:
1. Delete all your existing cookies 2. Tell Internet Explorer to
block all future cookies 3. Tell Internet Explorer to accept
cookies only from the sites you choose
Fire up Explorer (if it's not already open). The setting below
demonstrate the MOST RESTRICTIVE setting you can get. Now we're
ready to take control of our cookies:
Choose "Internet Options..." from the "Tools" menu
Click on the "Privacy" tab.
Click the "Internet" icon and click the "Advanced" button.
Choose "Override automatic cookie handling" to place a check
mark in its box.
Choose Block under both "First Party Cookies" and "Third-party
Cookies."
Click to put a check mark in the "Always allow session cookies"
box.
Click OK.
To view different cookie management strategies and to get more
detailed information and tips on fine-tuning your control over
your cookies - I suggest you check out the free articles at
http://www.1clicktraining.com.
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