Cookies

A cookie is data that is generated by a website and saved to a computer by the web browser. The purpose of this information is to remember certain information by the entity accessing the web site. A cookie may store log-in information for a specific site. The cookie may also save information from search engines regarding recently viewed sites. Cookies generated by browsers may be "session" types or "persistent" types. When the system closes, session type cookies are deleted. This would be type of cookie used by a commerce sites to store items in a shopping bag. Persistent cookies store data for a more extended period of time. The expiration date of the persistent cookie may vary from a few days to several years. The cookie is not deleted until that expiration date. Generally, web browsers save cookies in a single file located within the browser's directory, typically within the Privacy or Security tabs. Disallowing cookies increases privacy but some websites will not function without cookies. If a user switches browsers, new cookies are created.