Cookies and Cache: What They Are and How to Manage Them
Cookies and cache work behind the scenes to bring you a better experience when you go online. They make browsing easier, faster — and the pros generally outweigh the cons. But it’s important to manage cookies in a way that protects everyone’s privacy. Browser cache can throw up its own issues with curious on-page errors and deja vu moments. As such, there may be times when it’s best to do a little spring cleaning and make a fresh start. In this guide, we’ll show you how to clear cookies and cache on the big four browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. What’s the difference between cookies and cache? Cookies and cache both store data on your device to improve your browsing experience, but they do so in different ways. In short, cookies are about remembering your browsing preferences and habits. Browser cache is all about storing temporary data to help speed things up when you browse. Cookies store user-specific information. Websites create cookies to remember things like login details, preferences (such as your preferred language), and browsing history. This works to personalise your experience and ease interaction with websites. Cache, by contrast, acts like a short-term memory for your browser. It stores website resources like images and HTML files. That way, you won’t need to download them again each and every time you visit the same website. The basic goal is for pages to load faster. Session Cookies Temporary by nature, session cookies vanish as soon as you close your browser. They’re only active for one session and don’t hang around once you leave the site. Persistent Cookies Unlike session cookies, these stick around after you close your browser. They’re used to store long-term preferences, like your login info or site settings. Persistent cookies often get a bad name, but they aren’t automatically a privacy risk — they simply help websites remember things between visits. The problems start when cookies are used to follow you from site to site, or store sensitive data without proper safeguards. That’s where First-Party and Third-Party cookies come into play: First-Party Cookies These are created by the site you’re actually visiting. They’re mainly used to make your experience smoother — remembering your settings, preferences or login status. Third-Party Cookies Third-party cookies are placed by other domains, not the site you’re on. Advertisers often use them to build a profile of your activity across multiple websites and deliver targeted ads. Why would you want to clear your cookies? Certain cookies track your browsing habits across different websites and build a profile on you, based on your browsing history. The collected data is valuable for advertisers and other businesses — and can even be sold on to data brokers. You may feel uncomfortable with the idea of your online activities being monitored and used for targeted advertising without consent. Indeed, the cookies may be placed by advertising companies rather than the owners of websites you’ve consciously visited. In some cases, malicious websites might steal sensitive information or even hijack your browsing session if it’s not properly secured. This is rare, but it highlights the importance of being cautious about cookies, especially on unfamiliar websites. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of privacy issues associated with persistent third-party cookies, leading to increased scrutiny and efforts to restrict their use by web browsers and regulatory authorities. That’s the way the cookie crumbles. So what should I do about cookies? To protect your privacy, you can block or limit third-party cookies in your browser settings, or choose to clear cookies regularly. Most modern browsers offer features to block or limit the use of third-party cookies, and there have been calls for stricter regulations to protect user privacy online. Some browsers even offer private browsing modes that don’t save cookies at all. All major browsers let you manage cookies — but it can be a bit of a chore. Clearing them often helps protect your privacy, but it can also break the experience on sites that rely on cookies to remember things like logins and preferences. What is cache? From the French for hidden, cache is pronounced “cash” — like the coins hiding under your sofa cushions. Caching in IT is the process of storing data so it can be used again quickly. It’s all about saving time — if something’s already been loaded once, there’s no need to fetch it again. Your computer’s processor uses cache to store previous instructions. Even your printer has a cache to hold recent print jobs. Browser cache works in a similar way. As you browse the internet, your browser saves things like images, logos, fonts and bits of website code. When you visit the same site again, it checks what’s already saved. If nothing has changed, it uses those saved files instead of downloading them again. That means pages load faster and you use less data. Why would you want to clear your cache? Clearing your cache can help resolve any issues you may be experiencing when with certain websites. This often happens when a site has recently been updated, as the data stored in your cache might conflict with the latest version of the website’s files. In some cases, browser cache can become: ▢ Outdated: Have you ever arrived at a website that appeared a bit… retro? This tends to happen when you try to open a page without realising you’re disconnected from the internet (bringing up deja vu BBC news headlines from 6 months ago, for example). You might also keep seeing the old version of a page until you manually clear the cache. ▢ Corrupted: Cache can become corrupted, in a few ways — leading to unexpected shutdowns or software conflicts that garble data. On some occassions, the cache itself can fill up with outdated files, leading to conflicts with newer versions of website content. ▢ Insecure: Cached temporary files may contain fragments of your browsing history. While not as detailed as cookies, this information could
Celebrating 2FA Day!
Tech geeks and security-conscious business owners, rejoice! It’s 2-Factor Authentication Day! In an age where digital security is paramount, this really is something to be celebrated. Let’s double down on the vital role 2FA plays in safeguarding our online data, how it all works, and why it’s such a big deal for cybersecurity. What is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)? Two-Factor Authentication is all about adding an extra layer of protection. The idea is simple, but effective: You enter your password, as usual, but instead of being granted access right away, 2FA asks for something unique that only you have – such as a special code on your mobile phone. This extra step ensures that even if someone guesses your password, it’s near-impossible to access your account without access to both the password and the unique code. Statistics suggest that 2FA can block 99.9% of attempted account entry attacks. It’s an indispensable security tool for our online services and accounts and keep us all that bit safer online. How does 2FA work? As the name suggests, 2FA is based on the concept of using two (or more) “factors”. A factor is something — that is, a piece of information — that can be relied on to be sure it’s really you who’s logging in. Authentication depends on users having two of the following verification methods: ✔️ What You Know: This includes things like passwords or PINs ✔️ What You Have: This is physical items like phones or apps that generate special codes. ✔️ What You Are: This refers to unique biological features like fingerprints or one’s face. 2FA has been around for quite a while now. Conceived in the 80s, it started to gain widespread recognition and use from the mid-2000s. Before it came along we relied solely on singular our passwords to protect our online accounts. You’d enter your password, and if it was correct, you’d get right in. If someone were to correctly guess or steal your password they’d have immediate access to everything. You might feel like the extra factor takes up too much time. But more often than not, it takes seconds, and when you think about the risks, this little extra step is more than worth it. As well as 2-Factor Authentication, you’ll also come across the term ‘Multi-Factor Authentication’ (MFA). They’re essentially the same thing. 2FA is just a form of MFA — though, it’s true that MFA could potentially refer to three (or more) Factors. There are a few different ways to add an extra layer of protection to your accounts. After you enter your username and password, the second step is where the magic happens. Each option has its own pros and cons: ☒ SMS Token: A unique code is sent via text message to your mobile phone. 77% of accounts now use texting as their method for two-factor authentication, making it a popular and widely trusted choice. ☒ Phone Call: After attempting to log in, you receive a phone call that provides a code verbally. ☒ Email Token: A unique code is sent to your registered email address, similar to SMS. This method is useful for access on devices where you’re already logged into your email account. ☒ Software Token: Involves installing a specialised application on your device, such as Google Authenticator or Authy. These apps generate time-sensitive codes, offering a secure and portable solution for authentication that doesn’t rely on SMS or network connectivity. ☒ Hardware Token: Using a tangible device like a key fob or a USB token to generates codes for authentication. ☒ Biometric Verification: Making use of unique characteristics like fingerprints for identity verification. Once a bit futuristic, this method has become mainstream in the last ten years with the introduction of fingerprint and facial recognition scanners in smartphones. Even with this added security, always stay sharp. Scammers might still try to get your password and second guess. Don’t share the information and make sure your main password is solid and unguessable. So, what is 2FA Day? 2FA Day is a sacred day when tech enthusiasts worldwide throw wild, lavish parties in celebration of the latest developments in online security. The entry code? You guessed it — an exclusive two-factor authentication token. Okay, not really, but 2FA Day does say something about the importance of that extra security step in our digital lives. 2FA Day is celebrated on February 2nd. The date reflects the idea of adding a second security layer, adding a number 2 February. See what they’ve done, there? It encourages us to reinforce that first line of defence with a robust second check. We might owe it a birthday present or two, given how effective 2FA is against financial fraud. National Password Day, by the way, is on the first Thursday of May… So as the day comes around, remember, it’s more than just a clever date. It’s a reminder to fortify your digital life, making it a bit more secure and smarter . As we celebrate 2FA Day on February 2nd, let it serve as a reminder that securing our own data and that of our customers and teammates online is not an option but a necessity. Amen. 2FA with 123 Reg At 123 Reg, we include 2FA as part of Domain Ownership Protection (DOP). When a domain is secured with DOP, two-factor authentication is required for every important change or transfer requested for that domain. Domain Ownership Protection also includes… ✔️ Additional domain privacy on the WHOIS database ✔️ A 90-day holding period with the Ultimate package Keep your personal details private with Domain Ownership Protection All yell for SSL! SSL Certificates are just as important a security product as 2FA or DOP. If you have a website, an SSL can help keep your visitors secure and protect hackers accessing your what’s yours. When visitors see a website has an SSL certificate, it’s a sign they are on a legit site and not a fake one. SSL Certificates are issued and regulated by Certificate Authorities (CAs) to ensure they are genuine. SSLs are so
The true cost of cyber crime
A new infographic from anti-virus company Kaspersky Labs suggests the cost of an individual’s lax approach to online security could be over US$2,000 with criminals able to make more money from any initial loss to the hacked individual. As revealed by this blog on ExpertReviews once your security has been compromised the average cyber criminal could make a fortune from additional access to the services you now take for granted online. Scaring yourself to death and shutting down your internet use however is not the answer. With just a few small investments and some use of common sense you can help yourself to minimise your risk of being hacked. For starters purchasing and installing Panda Global Protection from 123-reg will give you up-to-date anti-virus protection, a firewall, spam protection for your email and the peace of mind of a back-up to ensure your personal data is secure and protected. Have you been the victim of cyber crime? Are the values in the infographic realistic?