About coolies
This site uses cookies
The information presented below is intended to provide the user with more details about the placement, use and management of cookies used by the site. There are also some useful related links.
In case you need more information and it is not listed below, you can contact us at the e-mail address indicated on the Privacy Policy page.
Please read the following information carefully:
This website uses its own and third party cookies to provide visitors with a much better browsing experience and services tailored to their needs and interests.
On the Internet, cookies play an important role in facilitating the access and delivery of the many services that users enjoy on the Internet, such as:
Customize certain settings such as the language in which a site is displayed, the currency in which certain prices or tariffs are expressed, keeping options for various products (measurements, other details, etc. and saving these options) – thus creating flexibility (accessing old preferences by clicking the “forward” and “back” buttons)
Cookies provide site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are being used by users so that they can make their sites even more effective and user-friendly.
Allow multimedia and other applications from other websites to be embedded on a website to create a more valuable, useful and enjoyable browsing experience;
What is a cookie?
An “Internet Cookie” (also known as a “browser cookie” or “HTTP cookie” or simply “cookie”) is a small file made up of letters and numbers that will be stored on a user’s computer, mobile device or other equipment from which the Internet is accessed.
The cookie is installed by a web-server’s request to a browser (e.g. Firefox, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (contains no software, viruses or spyware and cannot access information on the user’s disk).
A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Furthermore, the lifetime of a cookie is determined; technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.
Cookies themselves do not require personal information in order to be used and do not personally identify Internet users.
There are 2 categories of cookies:
Session cookies – these are temporarily stored in the web browser’s cookie file for the web browser to remember them until the user exits the website or closes the browser window.
Persistent cookies – These are stored on the hard drive of a computer or device (and generally depend on the cookie’s default lifetime). Persistent cookies also include those placed by a website other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as ‘third party cookies’ – which can be used anonymously to remember a user’s interests so that advertising can be delivered that is as relevant as possible to the user.
What are the advantages of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web browser (the user) to a specific web server (the website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the information already stored and react accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to provide convenient services to users: e.g. online privacy preferences, site language choices or other options.
What is the lifetime of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by web servers. The lifetime of a cookie can vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used exclusively for a single session (‘session cookies’) and are not retained once the user has left the website and some cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that website (‘persistent cookies’). However, cookies can be deleted by a user at any time through browser settings.
What are third-party cookies?
Certain sections of content on some websites may be provided through third parties/providers (e.g. news, a video or an advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the website and they are called “third party cookies” because they are not placed by the owner of that website. Third party providers must also comply with applicable law and the website owner’s privacy policies.
How cookies are used by websites
A visit to a website may place cookies for the purposes of:
cookies to analyse the browsing experience of visitors
account registration cookies
cookies to retain settings
These cookies may come from the following third parties: Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
Cookies to analyse visitors’ browsing experience
Each time a user visits this site Analytics software provided by a third party generates a user analytics cookie. This cookie tells us whether you have visited the site before. Your browser will tell us if you have this cookie and if not, we will generate one. This allows us to track unique users who visit us and how often.
As long as you are not registered on this site, this cookie cannot be used to physically identify individuals, they are used for statistical purposes only. If you are registered we may also know the details you have provided to us, such as your e-mail address and user name – these are subject to the provisions of our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, as well as the provisions of applicable law.
Account registration cookies
When you register on this site, we generate a cookie that tells us whether you are registered or not. Our servers use these cookies to tell us which account you are registered with and whether you have permission for a particular service. It also allows us to associate any comments or questions you post on our site with your username. If you have not selected “keep me logged in”, this cookie will automatically delete itself when you close your browser or computer.
Cookies to retain settings
This cookie is used to store in the browser’s memory settings such as acceptance of cookie notifications, the language used to navigate the website, etc.
Keeping these settings gives the user a comfortable navigation of the website.
What kind of information is stored and accessed through cookies?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server will recognize the browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that improves your browsing experience on the Internet (e.g. language settings; keeping a user logged in; online banking security; keeping configuration options).
Why are cookies important for the Internet?
Cookies are central to the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to create a user-friendly browsing experience tailored to each user’s preferences and interests. Refusing or disabling cookies may make some sites unusable.
Rejecting or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – it just means that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests, as evidenced by your browsing behavior.
Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require a user to authenticate via an account):
Content and services tailored to user preferences – news categories, weather, sport, maps, public and government services, entertainment sites and travel services.
Tailored displays based on user interests – password remembering, language preferences (e.g. displaying search results in Romanian).
Retain child protection filters on internet content (family mode options, safe search features).
Measurement, optimization and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic to a website, what type of content is being viewed and how a user gets to a website (e.g. through search engines, directly, from other websites etc.) Websites run these analytics on their usage to improve their websites for the benefit of their users.
Security and privacy issues
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code so they cannot be executed nor can they execute themselves. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks to run or replicate themselves again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.
Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on many other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies for deletion as part of their anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures.
Browsers generally have built-in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.
Other security issues related to cookies:
As identity protection is very valuable and is the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to be aware of the potential problems that cookies can create. Because cookies constantly transmit information back and forth between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes in the data transmission path, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted.
Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the web server using an unencrypted network (e.g. an unsecured WiFi network).
Other cookie-based attacks involve wrong cookie settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information through insecure channels. Attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate way to protect your personal information.
Tips for safe and responsible browsing based on cookies.
Because of their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and biggest sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Disabling cookies will prevent the user from accessing the most popular and widely used sites including Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.
Here are some tips that can make sure your browsing with cookies is hassle-free:
Customize your browser’s cookie settings to reflect a level of cookie security you are comfortable with.
If you don’t mind cookies and you’re the only person using your computer, you can set long expiry times for storing your browsing history and personal access data.
If you share access to your computer, you may consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is one option to access sites that place cookies and delete any visiting information when you close your browsing session.
Install and constantly update your anti-spyware applications.
Many spyware detection and prevention applications include website attack detection. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.
Make sure your browser is always updated to the latest version.
Many cookie-based attacks are carried out by exploiting weaknesses in older browser versions.
Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can surf the Internet with confidence.
How can I stop cookies?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies may make certain websites impracticable or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive/see online advertising.
It is possible to set your browser to stop accepting these cookies, or you can set your browser to accept cookies from a specific site. But for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.
All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the ‘options’ or ‘preferences’ menu of your browser.
In order to understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise you can use your browser’s “help” option for more details.
