Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites for various different reasons. For example, web-based email providers normally utilise cookies to "remember" who you are while you are using their service.

Are cookies safe?

Cookies, in themselves, are generally harmless and are actually required for using certain functions of a website.

The information stored in these cookies can include: your IP address, which is usually logged anyway when you visit a website; your username, if logged into a website such as web-based email; the contents of your shopping cart, if shopping online.

Any sensitive information, such as passwords, is usually encrypted by the website before they are stored on your computer. When the cookie is accessed by the website again, the information is decrypted securely.

Although generally harmless and limited to 4KB (kilobytes) in size, it is good computer maintenance to delete your stored cookies every now and then, depending on how much you browse the Internet.

Each cookie is set to expire after a certain amount of time, which allows some websites to remember you for long periods of time. An example of this would be where you select a "remember me" option on a website you frequent, to avoid having to login each time you visit the website.

Most web browsers make it fairly straightforward to delete the stored cookies, see our tips and tricks section and locate your web browser. You can also disable the use of cookies in your browser if you wish by following the instructions found in the same section.

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