How to Adjust your cookie security policy

As mentioned, cookies are not as bad a thing as some people in the computing world would like
you to believe. Instead, the only real risk they present is a loss of some privacy, as mentioned
earlier. If you allow your browser to be instructed to create cookies on your computer, then over
time your PC would have quite a collection of them. Anyone who used your computer would
then know what sites you visited, if they knew where the cookie files were located.
The latest version of Internet Explorer includes many new enhancements. One of the enhancements
includes a new way of accepting cookies. Now, you have the ability to specify if you
would like your browser to block all cookies or just certain types.To be able to use this new
feature, you will have to understand what the two different types of cookies are: first- and
third-party cookies. First-party cookies are placed on your computer by the current site that
you are visiting. Third-party cookies are placed on your computer by remote sites such as
advertisement servers.If you do not want your computer to accept third-party cookies so that marketing companies
cannot identify what ads they have shown you, or if you just want to adjust your cookie acceptance
settings, then follow these steps:
1. Open up a copy of Internet Explorer.
2. Click the Tools menu bar item and select Internet Options.
3. When Internet Options loads, click the Privacy tab.
4. You will see the up-and-down slider that allows you to select different levels of cookie
security. I recommend that you bypass this and just click the Advanced button
instead.
5. Once you click the Advanced button and see the Advanced Privacy Settings window,
check the box that says Override Automatic Cookie Handling.
6. Your settings for first- and third-party cookies will now be available for adjustment, as
shown in Figure 14-3. I recommend that you always accept first-party cookies. You can
decide if you want to block or select the prompt to accept third-party cookies. Prompt
will pop up a dialog box notifying you that a cookies request has been received.
7. Once you are finished with your settings, click the OK button to save your changes and
return to Internet Options.
8. Click OK once more to close Internet Options.Now that you have set the cookie privacy setting manually, you can eliminate cookies from
being stored on your hard drive in the first place. Doing so will allow you to protect your
privacy and still be able to use Web sites that need cookies