COOKIE POLICY
What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small data file that the website associates with visitors to facilitate optimal functioning, efficiency and security. Cookies are installed via requests sent by a server to an Internet browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome). These files do not contain software programs, viruses or spyware and cannot access the information stored on the hard drive of the equipment. Cookie files do not require personal information to be used and in most cases do not personally identify Internet users. Cookie files can vary significantly in length depending on the purpose for which they are placed. Cookies can be deleted by the user at any time through the browser settings.
Cookies themselves do not require personal information in order to be used and in most cases do not personally identify Internet Users.
There are 2 broad categories of cookies:
– Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the web browser’s cookie folder for the web browser to remember them until the User exits the website or closes the browser window (e.g. when logging in/out of a webmail or social media account).
– Persistent cookies – these are stored on a computer or device’s hard-drive (and generally depend on the cookie’s default lifetime). Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the User is currently visiting – known as ‘third party cookies’ – which can be used anonymously to remember a User’s interests so that advertising can be delivered that is as relevant as possible to the User.
What are the benefits of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web-browser (the User) to a specific webserver (the Website). If a browser accesses that webserver again, it can read the information already stored and react accordingly. Cookies provide Users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to provide convenient services to Users: examples – online privacy preferences, site language choices, shopping carts or relevant advertising.
What is the lifetime of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by webservers. The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (session cookies) and are not retained once the User has left the website and some cookies are retained and reused each time the User returns to that website (persistent cookies). However, cookies can be deleted by a User at any time through browser settings.
What are third-party cookies?
Certain sections of content on some websites may be provided via third parties/providers (e.g. news box, a video or an advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the website and they are called “third party cookies” because they are not placed by the owner of the website in question. Third party providers must also comply with applicable law and the website owner’s Privacy Policy.
How are cookies used by this website?
A visit to this website may place cookies for the purposes of:
- Site performance cookies;
This type of cookie retains the User’s preferences on this site, so there is no need to set them each time the site is visited. Examples: – volume settings for the video player – video streaming speed that the browser supports.
- Visitor analysis cookies;
Each time a User visits this site analytics software provided by a third party generates a User analytics cookie. This cookie tells us whether you have visited this site before. Your browser will tell us if you have this cookie and if not, we will generate one. It allows us to track Unique Users who visit us and how often they do so.
As long as you are not registered on this site, this cookie cannot be used to identify individuals, they are used for statistical purposes only. If you are registered we may also know the details you have provided to us, such as your email address and username – these are subject to the privacy and confidentiality provisions of the Privacy Policy as well as the provisions of the applicable legislation on the protection of personal data.
- Geotargeting cookies;
These cookies are used by software that determines which country you come from. It is completely anonymous and is only used to target the content – even when you are on our page in English or in another language you receive the same advertisement.
When you register on a site, a cookie is generated that tells whether you are registered or not. Our servers use these cookies to show which account you are registered with and whether you have permission for a particular service. It also allows them to associate any comments you post on the site with your username. If you have not selected “keep me logged in”, this cookie will automatically delete itself when you close your browser or computer.
- Advertising cookies;
These cookies track whether or not you have viewed an online advertisement, the type of advertisement and how long it has been since you saw the advertisement. These cookies are also used to target online advertising. It may also use cookies belonging to a third party for better targeting of advertising, to show for example advertisements about vacations, if the User has recently visited an article on the site about vacations. These cookies are anonymous, they store information about the content viewed, not about Users.
- Other third party cookies
On some pages, third parties may set their own anonymous cookies in order to track the success of an application or to customize an application. Because of the way this site is used, this site cannot access these cookies, just as third parties cannot access cookies owned by this site. For example, when you share an article using the social media button on this site, that social network will record your activity.Ce tip de informaţii sunt stocate şi accesate prin intermediul cookie-urilor?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The webserver will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted. The cookie stores important information that enhances the web browsing experience (e.g. language settings for accessing a website, keeping a user logged into a webmail account, online banking security, keeping products in the shopping cart).
Why are cookies important for the Internet?
Cookies are central to the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a user-friendly browsing experience tailored to the preferences and interests of each User. Refusing or disabling cookies may make some websites unusable. Rejecting or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – it just means that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests as evidenced by your browsing behavior.
Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require a user to log in via an account):
- Content and services tailored to User preferences – news categories, weather, sports, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services.
- Offers tailored to users’ interests – password retention, language preferences (e.g. display search results in English).
- Retention of child protection filters on Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).
- Limiting the frequency of advertisements – limiting the number of times an advertisement is displayed for a given User on a site.
- Providing more relevant advertising to the User.
- Measurement, optimization and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic to a website, what type of content is being viewed and how a User gets to a website (e.g. through search engines, directly, from other websites, etc.) Websites run these analytics on their usage to improve their websites for the benefit of Users.Securitate şi probleme legate de confidenţialitate
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code so they cannot be executed nor can they autorun. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks to run or replicate themselves again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. Cookies can however be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about Users’ browsing preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on several other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies for deletion as part of their anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures. In general browsers have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the User has visited a particular site.
Other security issues related to cookies
As identity protection is very valuable and is the right of every Internet User, it is advisable to be aware of the potential problems that cookies can create. Because cookies constantly transmit information back and forth between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes in the data transmission path, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g. an unsecured WiFi network).
Other cookie-based attacks involve wrong cookie settings on servers. If a website does not prompt the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information over unsecure channels. Attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate way to protect your personal information.
Tips for safe and responsible cookie-based browsing
Because of their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and biggest sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Disabling cookies will not allow the User to access the most popular and widely used sites including YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.
Here are a few tips to ensure that you can browse without worry but with cookies:
- Customize your browser’s cookie settings to reflect a level of cookie security that you are comfortable with.
- If you don’t mind cookies and you are the only person using your computer, you can set long expiry times for storing your browsing history and personal access data.
- If you share access to your computer, you may consider setting your browser to erase individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is an alternative to accessing sites that place cookies and deleting any visiting information when you close your browsing session.
- Install and constantly update your anti-spyware applications.
Many spyware detection and prevention applications include website attack detection. This prevents your browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software. Make sure your browser is always up-to-date. Many cookie-based attacks are carried out by exploiting weaknesses in older browser versions.
Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can confidently surf the web.
How can I stop cookies?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies may make certain websites impracticable or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive/see online advertising. It is possible to set your browser to stop accepting cookies, or you can set your browser to accept cookies from a particular site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments. All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the ‘options’ or ‘preferences’ menu of your browser.
In order to understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise you can use your browser’s “help” option for more details.