Grateful for some help in understanding more about cookies. I think I understand that cookies are placed on my computer by websites that I visit - session cookies help the website keep track of what I'm interested in on that website, and grant me access to different parts of the website without logging in again and again. Permanent cookies may be installed when a user visits website A - and if website B is cooperating with A, information about that user's browsing on site B will be passed to A "for marketing purposes". So, my questions are:
1. Can third parties (malicious or not) hijack other websites' permanent cookies, and get information about their users browsing interests?
2. Can third parties (malicious or not) hijack other websites' session cookies, and get detailed identity information about users?
3. How can you be sure that the cookies on your computer aren't reporting to unauthorised third parties - just rely on bitdefender, or what?
4. Who is responsible for policing cookies and information gathering activity through cookies - ensuring that they really do gather only the information they're allowed to gather; and ensuring that the cookies and information archives can't be hijacked by third parties?
