Tracking Cookies Advice

Hi all, I know this is not a new topic as such but I could really do with some advice to ease my mind. About a week or so ago Bitdefender started picking up tracking cookies as issues, granted it deleted the suspect files but they keep coming back again and again and again. Im sure I don't need to bore people who have the same issue how annoying it is!!!! The steps I have taken over the last week or so are, to do a full format of all my hardrives with a clean install of windows to follow, trying various suggestions with the IE options and finally my choice to re-set my router to obtain a new IP address.

I have read up plenty and also been in contact with a guy from Bitdefender who took the time to explain to me what cookies are and that i should ignore them.

The thing is, I already know what a cookie is and i understand the reasons why they might be on my computer. What I do not get is why and how do they keep coming back, more importantly why does Bitdefender pick these files up as issues or threats if they are harmless??

Could somebody with enough knowledge on this subject please contact me and maybe answer a few of my questions or tell me some way I may stop these cookies coming back??

The most frustrating part for me is that this has only started happening recently, im sure if it was the norm I would have recieved these sorts of cookies before and surely Bitdefender would have picked them up!!??

Apologies if my post seems like im on a cookie mission, I have spent alot of time trying to sort this out only to get no-where quickly!!

Best Regards

Cookie Monster

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Comments

nikki605

"What I do not get is why and how do they keep coming back" - every website you visit is going to write one or more cookies on your PC.

"why does Bitdefender pick these files up as issues or threats if they are harmless??" - most a/v programs treat cookies as the tracking of your web surfing. Its a privacy issue more than and actual threat (in my opinion).

You can't stop cookies from appearing entirely. They will come back with each website you visit. To an extent, they are necessary to make websites work as designed. I opt to keep many cookies on my system because they keep the userID & password for sites I visit regularly. That way I don't have to login every time. Now, having said that, I have read some paranoid writers who suggest that what I am doing is potentially dangerous and those are the very cookies I should be deleting for privacy reasons. This is an area of discussion where the answers are not black & white, right or wrong. It is a personal choice. It comes down to how risky are your web surfing habits and do you think you are really exposing yourself to a privacy intrusion. Do you web surf at wi-fi hot spots like Starbucks, hotels or airports? Those are totally open wi-fi networks and subject to easy hacking and spying. I don't use those places, myself. I web surf at home either cabled to my router or over my secured wireless connection, like I am right now. I don't log into my bank's website over an unsecured wireless network.

You don't say which web browser you use. I use IE8 and if I look at its Options, there is a Privacy Tab where I can set a Privacy level. When I read the description, it mostly has to do with which cookies are allowed and which are blocked. You may want to check the Privacy and other options, of your browser.

I use CCleaner to delete unneeded files and also to delete cookies. The program allows me to select which cookies I want to keep.

Hope this helps a little,

Gary

George84

Hi Gary,

Thank you for your reply. I know what cookies are, maybe I should have been more specific? I did a FULL format of my hardrives which took like 6 hours, then a clean install of windows then installed bitdefender all over again. What I do not get is that even after all that Bitdefender is still picking these items up as issues, even though at the time I had only been on the Bitdefender site!! My questions are, why is Bitdefender picking these files up as issues? Either I have always recieved these types of cookies but Bitdefender hasn't been picking them up OR I have only just started recieving these types of cookies which is why it all seems a bit suss to me!!?? And if it perfectly fine to have these files on my computer, why is Bitdefender picking them up as issues?? Surely it should just leave them alone?

My confusion is this, these files have only started being picked up recently, therefor something must have changed somewhere down the line. My internet browsing has not.

I am not a paranoid person, however I am a member of a private tracker site and download a fair amount of stuff. I am with Sky for my Broadband and have a truly unlimited package so have no worries about my downloading and never have. This is the only type of behaviour from my end that someone might be interested in.

As for my internet browser, I use IE8 i have been thorugh the settings more times than i care to remember, from blocking all cookies and just letting the exceptions through which is what i believe I am on now. To trying to block all of the cookies that Bitdefender is picking up. Oh and my connection is at home, I am wired into my router and have never used a public wi-fi port. Also I have used CC as long as I have used a computer so i get all that, I would rather not have to delete my browsing history every time or clear the cookies, I mean I never had to before so why now?

Best Regards

Cookie Monster

nikki605

Maybe it would help if you listed the specific cookies you are seeing.

Since you use CCleaner, have you asked the question on their forum - http://forum.piriform.com/

I am a member there, too.

Gary

unknown

Hi George,

I have followed this topic and I find it interesting. I do wish to assure you that those cookies are NOT a direct threat to your PC however, the reason BitDefender finds them as issues and resolve them is because those cookies can be used by third-party software or people to hack into email accounts and accounts associated with those cookies stored on your PC.

As BitDefender is always thinking about the security of its users we do act and delete those cookies, just as an extra layer of security.

The only advise I can give you to reduce the number of those cookies is to enable a certain function into the browser you are using:

- Do not save encrypted pages to disk

- Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

You can see the options location in the attached screenshot.

I do hope this clear things a little bit.

Kind regards,

George84

Hi George,

I have followed this topic and I find it interesting. I do wish to assure you that those cookies are NOT a direct threat to your PC however, the reason BitDefender finds them as issues and resolve them is because those cookies can be used by third-party software or people to hack into email accounts and accounts associated with those cookies stored on your PC.

As BitDefender is always thinking about the security of its users we do act and delete those cookies, just as an extra layer of security.

The only advise I can give you to reduce the number of those cookies is to enable a certain function into the browser you are using:

- Do not save encrypted pages to disk

- Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

You can see the options location in the attached screenshot.

I do hope this clear things a little bit.

Kind regards,

Hi Daniel,

Thank you for your input, as of yet no-one has suggested these changes, I have changed the settings you suggested and will see how it goes. Thank you for taking the time to explain my the answers to my questions. Thank you for your message aswell Gary, im not sure how the CCleaner forum will help me but i will have a look.

Thanks again Daniel, watch this space.

Regards

George English

nikki605

I suggested the CCleaner forum because after I mentioned it, you stated that you used it also. I'm sure you are aware that CCleaner has a section where you can specify cookies to keep and the remainder to delete.

As such, the topics in that forum get into some pretty detailed discussions regarding cookies from a lot of different aspects. I just thought that the members there might be able to offer you some additional information about where your cookies are coming from and how concerned you should be. Daniel has responded from a BD point of view.

Just suggesting an alternative discussion group, that's all.

Regards,

Gary

George84

I suggested the CCleaner forum because after I mentioned it, you stated that you used it also. I'm sure you are aware that CCleaner has a section where you can specify cookies to keep and the remainder to delete.

As such, the topics in that forum get into some pretty detailed discussions regarding cookies from a lot of different aspects. I just thought that the members there might be able to offer you some additional information about where your cookies are coming from and how concerned you should be. Daniel has responded from a BD point of view.

Just suggesting an alternative discussion group, that's all.

Regards,

Gary

Hi Gary,

I will be sure to chekc out the CCleaner forum, I have made the changes that daniel suggested but my browser seems to be really slow now, maybe it's a matter of finding a happy medium!!?? I really do appreciate every body's comments, after all I learnt the little I know from people like yourselve's.

Regards

George English

George84

Hi Gary,

I will be sure to chekc out the CCleaner forum, I have made the changes that daniel suggested but my browser seems to be really slow now, maybe it's a matter of finding a happy medium!!?? I really do appreciate every body's comments, after all I learnt the little I know from people like yourselve's.

Regards

George English

Quick update for anyone who is or may have the same problem as me regarding tracking cookies. I have changed my browser from IE8 to Firefox, touch wood I have not had any tracking cookies picked up since the change over yesterday. Not an ideal solution however, it seems to have sorted the problem i was having so i musn't grumble. Maybe this will help others in a similar situation????

Regards

George English

unknown

Thanks for the feedback George. I will close the topic and rate it as 5 stars. Feel free to create a new topic whenever you may need further assistance.

Kind regards,