How do you block cookies? And security question.

How do you block cookies? My spyware programs reports tracking cookies like com.com I wonder how I can block them and what effects it will have. Will it deny access to some sites? One of my spyware program claims pogo.com leaves a tracking cookie!?!

Also, I am thinking of buying a Spyware/trojan cleaner so far, besides Norton, all of my programs are free. If I am to only purchase one, which would you recommend?

This is my arsenal. (Please let me know if there is a freeware one you recommend that isn't listed below)....

Norton and freeware versions of
SpywareGuard
SpywareBlaster
Ad-Aware SE Personal
Spybot - Search & Destroy
SpyCleaner
Spy Sweeper
Free Spyware Scanner
a-squared StartCenter
Bazooka
Spyware Doctor and
CWShredder
(Only SpywareGuard and Norton are used as running processes)

 

You can turn off cookies in the internet options menu of IE. Or basicly just a properties menu of whatever browser you're using.

Although there really insn't much reason to worry about cookies. You use them A LOT, for example they keep you logged in here at majorgeeks and stuff like that. So turning them off would be a pain. The tracking cookies don't have any negative impact either. They do as the name implies, they track you. Which in this case usually means they have a number which is incremented by one each time you visit the page of a certain tracking cookie.

Of course ultimatly tracking cookies arn't even needed ot track you. They can do it all server side if they really wanted, tracking cookies just makes it easier for them. So really, unless you've got some good reason to be hiding it doesn't make any diffrence to the user. I mean they track what you watch on TV if you have cable too, but who cares?

As for other programs you need, IMO you already have A LOT. I don't think you need more.

 

Thanks Coco! I thought people might be using a program that blocks specific cookies.
Every night I used GenDiscCleaner and delete the cookies I do not need and keep the ones I use, like this site's.

How curious that you wrote, "Of course ultimatly tracking cookies arn't even needed ot track you. They can do it all server side if they really wanted..."

My firewall doesn't prevent that?

I always wondered if cable and satelite keeps track of what is being watched. I assumed so since they seem to know what everyone is watching!

 

When you go to any website you go throguh anywheres from 5-50 computers. Chances are each and every single one of these computers keeps logs. Which means each computer has your IP address, what you're looking at, and the time you looked at it.

Actually accessing the log files is another matter and can be annoying, plus they arn't kept forever. But ultimately, since an IP is required to do anything online, it means they can track anything you do online as well, and they can easily identify who you are right down to your house, by simply asking your ISP. Of course the ISP won't give up that information without a good reason, but ultimately anything you do online can be traced back to you.

There is also no way at all to stop this. It's the way the internet works. I mean you can go through a whole bunch of comptuers to make them have to track down a bunch of IP's to get to you, but ultimatly everything can be traced, and firewalls provide no protection for tracking at all. They stop people from getting in, they have nothing to do with making you harder to track.

Of course it's really no big deal, when you walk into a store in rl chances are they have you on video camera, so it's not like this is a new thing. When online they just record your visit in a log, rather then a video clip of you.

 

Thanks again Coco. Great way to explain it. I just hate the idea of malicious spying cookies / tracking cookies. I guess it's like the difference between a security video camera and a spycam. Surely a tracking cookie has a different motive than a regular cookie. (login cookies aside)

I know my arsenal may seem excessive but each one seems to find something different. (Of course a couple may be giving me false positives)



And thanks scorpsteals! I'll check out those links now!