User Guide

User’s Guide 65
Internet Security and Privacy
• First, youcanprovidetheinformationyourselfwhenyou registersoftware
or respond to Internet questionnaires.
• Second, when you ask to be allowed access to the electronic version of a
newspaper,or use a“shoppingcart”to buy productson the Web, a cookie,
describedin “Whatarecookies andhow aretheyused?” onpage 65,might
be written to your computer whereitstoresinformation, such as your user
ID and password for the newspaper or the articles you bought with their
quantity and price.
What information do companies get when I register products
online?
Companies get only the information that you enter in the registration form
whenyou register electronically.They do not get anyinformation about your
computer system, your us e of your computer, o r other stored information
unless you provide it as part of the registration.
This information is used for the company’s marketing research and to send
you information about new releases, other products, and so on. The
informationmightbesoldtoothercompanies,justasmailinglistsofmagazine
subscribers or mail order companies can be sold to others.
Somecompaniesallow youtospecifythatyoudonot wanttoreceive mailings
or to have your name and address sold to other companies. If the company
does not provide this option, you can enter false information to prevent
mailings, either postal or electronic, from reaching you.
What are cookies and how are they used?
A cookie is a small file that contains data. The data in the cookie varies,
depending on its purpose. Upon the request of a Web site, your Web browser
stores cookies on your computer. Usually, cookies just contain information
that enhances your Web experience. For example, when you use an Internet
site to buy computer equipment, y ou may add items to a “shopping basket.”
Information about the items you add to the shopping basket is stored in a
cookie on your computer because the Internet browser cannot retain
informationthatyou entered inone Internetpagewhenyou switchto another
Internetpage.The cookie saves information aboutyourpurchasesand allows
the site to create a final order form for you.
Another example is the cookie that a Web store keeps on your computer,
holding your user name and password so that you do not need to enter this
informationeachtimeyouconnecttothesite.