[Trusted]

Hi All

This is more of a recurring problem and nuisance value than anything else .


I`m using the Windows firewall and AVG antivirus .

Every time the computer is booted up the Windows firewall alert appears in my taskbar yet when i check it tells me that the Firewall is switched on .

Each time i run an AVG scan i keep getting the same old tracking cookies appearing and each time i keep deleting them they reappear , theyr`e classed as medium risk and there are no visible symptoms being exhibited by the computer etc , ie slowness .

So it`s about time i took the next step and got rid of or at least found out whats allowing these critters in. I`d guess the firewall flaw will be a contributing factor but as i`m no whizz with a computer i thought advice from someone far more competent is required and would be really appreciated .

So if there`s anyone out there that can spare 10 minutes of their time or give guidance whatsover i`d be very grateful .

Take care One all

and Happy Christmas

[jdean]

Cookies are used by your browser. Cookies are necessary for some sites to function properly; "tracking cookies" are cookies that are placed in pages just to keep track of what you're doing (rather than being necessary for the site to work).

While browsers do have settings that allow you do prevent cookies from being placed on your machine, you'd be better off with a cookie management plugin that's smarter about managing cookies. For Firefox, I use CookieSafe (I don't know what's available for Internet Explorer). A smart plugin works pretty much automatically and does the right thing most of the time; you will occasionally need to override it.

There may be some firewalls that provide cookie blocking but many don't. That doesn't matter to me because I prefer to have the cookie management done in the browser since that's the program that uses the cookies.

Hope this helps...

[Mr. Newton]

If you use Firefox you can block cookies of your choice,allow cookies,allow cookies just for the session,block all cookies.Tracking cookies used to bother me but I have never been able to find out if they are actually "bad",so now I really don't get upset if I find any.In fact I ignore them.Never had a problem.But I have a couple of sites barred from setting a cookie just from information I have heard about a particular site being "bad".
So my advice is use Firefox & manage your cookies.

[hewee]

I have all cookies blocked by default in firefox and without getting added to the Exceptions list. My cookie Exceptions list is small and does not grow and grow with Block by 100's or 1000's of sites.
I have some as Allow and Allow for Session and Block.
I had to block a couple because at a couple places you do want to get to other cookies come from the site I don't need or want so they have to be added that way.
Here is what I got in the list and it stays that way.
47 Allow
22 Blocked - most are hotmail or goolge too.
39 Allow for Session

Then on cookies I keep I only have 10 or 10 sites.

A host file helps a lot too. I use CookieSafe so if I need to get a cookie to get in the site I can make a temp cookie so that keep my list from growning.
I don't even let SpywareBlaster or Spybot deal with the Netscape or Firefox cookies because all it does is add to the Exceptions list and have the sites marked as Block.
I then use CookieCuller tp mark the cookies I want to keep and it protects them from getting deleted.
But your get session cookies from sites still you go to and I can click the Remove All Cookies button and all unprotected cookies are deleted. I do this before going to another site to stop the tracking of any session cookie.

Then like with Firefox if you get NoScript that can cut down on getting cookies too because some sites will not set a cookie without the java script.

Then there are more things you can do but it gets harder to do and you had better have a backup of your cookies and setting and that is dealing with sites like hotmail that has a ton of cookies but then trying to find out what ones you really need and what ones to block.

[Trusted]

jdean/MrNewton/hewee

First of all thank you for the replies .

Perhaps i haven`t explained the situation correctly .These tracking cookies appear each and every time i run an AVG scan and they show up as medium risk .I`m also a touched concerned if these are causing the Windows alert feature to appear in the taskbar .Have they managed to get through the firewall as this alert is constantly showing in the task bar on every boot up of the computer .

I think the 2 are linked somehow .

I can`t stop this Windows firewall alert from appearing and yet when i check in the Security center it tells me the firewall is active .Is it either a virus which has de-activated the firewall .Why is the alert constantly showing .

Any guidance appreciated

I hope this clarifys the situation

[perfume]

If you are constantly prompted to remove 3rd party "Tracking Cookies" and/or "Data Miners" after scanning your machine, then your "Layered Protection" is not set up properly! It's simple enough to go thru the Antispyware "scan log" and determine which Cookies keep reappearing. Then add these to the "Always Block" option, or simply block all 3rd party Cookies (recommended).lately some malware infections are adding these 3rd party Cookies, without you even visiting these sites. That's what I mean about "playing by the rules" don't take anything for granted.The object is to prevent these (3rd party) Cookies from loading, not removing them "after the fact".I recommend both of these terrific "Layered Protection" utilities.

• WinPatrol (Startup Manager) also can help you manage your Cookies.
• SpywareBlaster can also block certain "Tracking Cookies" from loading

[hewee]

Also a hosts file is another good way to block out tracking, ad and bad sites.

You will not get a cookie from tracking.com if you have it in the hosts file.

Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts File and 3rd party Cookies

[xptweak]

Tracking cookies should not bother you. As it is mentioned in AVG's website, they are absolutely harmless.Btw the cookies reappear because you probably visit the same sites that create the cookies after each delete.

[Trusted]

Perfume/hewee

Thanks for the replies

Perfume i followed them very interesting links from mvps.org which lead me to the cookie testing site .After updating my spyware blaster and changing my privacy settings to block 3rd party cookies i then proceeded to run an AVG scan ( as yet i haven`t added the sites to the blocked list ) .The scan appeared clean .

Great i thought

Then i followed the forensic cookie test which informs me i`m using a browser which has browser leakage .I check the list and it appears IE 7 is known to have broswer privacy faults but i`m using IE6 which doesn`t .

Here`s what it states

Browser leakage bug! — BLUE cookies are extremely bad since they indicate the presence of a web browser cookie leakage bug that cannot be prevented through the browser's cookie controls. At the time of this writing, all versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox v2 have known and serious "blue cookie" leakage bugs.

So even after changing my privacy settings i`m still not able to prevent via the browser this flaw . The AVG scan is showing clear .How should i proceed

The two third-party persistent cookies shown above as “leaking” (blue) expose you to a potential loss of privacy due to bugs in your web browser. Although your browser has been configured to block the exchange of third-party persistent cookies, cookies of this type are still being exchanged when your browser requests the indicated resource types from a remote server. That's not good, and it's not how you have configured your browser to operate. But bugs in this browser prevent the cookie exchange from being blocked. Because third-party persistent cookies are frequently used to perform Internet tracking and profiling, you should report this problem to your browser's publisher and/or consider switching to a web browser without cookie leakage problems.

[Trusted]

One last question

Is this browser leakage somehow linked to the Windows firewall alert which appears in the taskbar .The firewall is showing as on yet the taskbar alert is showing in the taskbar .

I`m still confused over this .I doubt the security has been compromised but why is it still showing and how do i resolve it

Many thanks

[hewee]

I never hear of BLUE cookies before.
I have always used Netscape and now Firefox and it had always been more easy to deal with cookies then IE.

Where you read about the Browser leakage bug?
I know there are some bugs or what some say are bugs or holes in the blocking of cookies and what we call 3rd party cookies.
I have all 3r party cookies blocked but I can still get them if it is a site in my allow list.
Like I have this site as allow.
Google set for session only and that is only to get to gmail or I would block out all google cookies.
OK not I just open Firefox so have no new cookies or session cookies yet but I go to google and type in "tech" or "help" and it techguy comes up in the search then I get a session set from forums.techguy.org when I was not ever here.
That is where the bug is because that was a 3rd party cookie and should of gotten blocked but you gave that site rights to allow or allow for session so the 3rd party cookie still gets set.

[hewee]

OK I went to the Web Browser Cookie Forensics test and passed with no cookies getting set.
I did it with and without NoScript and got the same as you see here but with NoScript where you see "SCRIPT" it would be gray text or I guess grayed out.

[perfume]

Iam just pasting below a link which should help you as you are using IE6.The link:http://www.hedgerwow.com/360/dhtml/i...ry_leak_fix/.I know next to nothing about comp.programming language,so i request those in the know to view the site i pasted above and offer your support!Very interestingly Google chrome has recently had a leakage which was fixed.Has your firewall passed the leakage test?As Hewee and others mentioned it's getting high time we all shifted our browsers,bag and baggage to Mozilla Firefox!But,old habits die hard.

[perfume]

Mr.Xptweak,
sorry to contradict you,lest a wrong message goes out that all cookies are "safe".They are not.First party cookies are safe,but third party cookies ,especially the "fresh"and "persistent"ones are troublesome!Third-party cookies represent a clear and present danger to web privacy since they are set and retrieved by sites other than the one the browser is visiting. Privacy enforcement requires that third-party cookies be blocked — which can be done by adjusting web browser settings.Third party cookies is a business leased out,to collect our browsing habits and a lot more.IT IS A HUGE BUSINESS!
Browser leakage bug! — BLUE cookies are extremely bad since they indicate the presence of a web browser cookie leakage bug that cannot be prevented through the browser's cookie controls. At the time of this writing, all versions of Internet Explorer and Firefox v2 have known and serious "blue cookie" leakage bugs.
None of the above info'is mine but culled from this website:http://www.grc.com/cookies/forensics...ny34e.God!Even firefox(Happy to see v 2 dying out) is not totally safe!This is the first time i've read about "Blue Bugs".At the bottom of the website i've pasted,there are very useful tips to get around these cookies.Just can't stand and watch when one's privacy and followingly liberty is compromised!

[Mr. Newton]

perfume,thanks for that grc link,haven't been to his site in awhile,I do the sheilds up every few months,I passed the cookie test.
I never use IE Been using Firefox for years & always have allow 3rd party cookies turned off.
& yes it is the 3rd party cookies you want to prevent.