A Cookie and The Security Concerns
A cookie is a tiny bit of data stored in a web browser by the publisher (web owner) to identify the user of the website to communicate with the web browser (the user) and to track the user’s behavior and activities every time on the same website. When a user visits or logs on to a website, a session between the user and the website starts and a session ID is created and only for that session. A Cookie stores information about a user’s interaction with a website. Website owners may track users by inserting a cookie into the user’s web browser so that whenever the user uses the same web browser in which the cookie is stored, the website owner (webserver) will recognize him again. E-commerce website owners use this to recognize their old customers track customers’ journeys on their websites or identify customers for particular offers and services.
There are three types of cookies namely Session cookie, Persistence cookie, and Secure cookie. A session cookie is required to keep the user logged on and identifiable. When the session is started session ID will be generated and stored in the browser, so even though the user closes the web page or browser without logging out; it won’t log out if the user reopens the same page or website again. The user must log out for the session to destroy and once destroyed session ID will no longer be valid. Persistence cookies remain on the user’s browser for a very long time because they are stored in the website’s database as well used for long-term relationships (tracking – tracking user’s relationship and service or communication purpose – sending specific advertisement on user’s browser). Though both session and persistence cookie has expiry times and dates; the session cookie is used for holding on logged-on accounts so expiration timing should play between 15 minutes and 2 hours or less, however, the persistence cookie may stay valid for usually up to one year even it may stay forever unless the user clears cookie from a web browser. A secure cookie is a cookie placed in a web browser only by HTTPS websites. Most banking and e-commerce websites place only secure cookies with encrypted data to facilitate secure transactions.
The Security Concerns With Cookies in Web Browser:
Cookies are generated and stored in web browsers for holding confidential data unless they are destroyed by logging accounts from the web browser or removing these cookies from a web browser. Cookies created in the web browser are only for the user’s browser but the problem is that if anyone manages to steal these cookies (the Session ID) then the stealer of these cookies may or surely compromise the user’s accounts and reveal confidential and sensitive information. Information that cookie stealers can get may include: Logging on user accounts like email, social media, online banking, and more.
How Cookies Are Stolen?
Cookie attackers are common just because financial-related information is hacked easily through the use and help of cookies hacking tools and other information stored in a web browser can be hacked.
Cookie does not only help users to have good experiences and use websites conveniently but also helps website owners keep good, identifiable, traceable relationships with their users/customers. For security reasons, if anyone understands what a cookie is it is also important to understand how to protect your own browser against cookie stealing and other common attacks on your web browser.