Tracking cookies

[whs]

On the systems where I use MSE, I notice a big influx of tracking cookies. That is not the case on the systems with NIS. I have no idea where those buggers come from because I am 80% on the forum page and occasionally I go to some other technical website to research information.
Every morning I run SAS and it finds 12 to 35 of those buggers. Questions:

1. Could they be coming from the forum
2. Why with MSE and not with NIS
3. Is it possible that SAS "invents" them

Here is the situation after a couple of hours on the forum with 3 or 4 visits to some technical websites:

 

[Nem]

Doesn't NIS automatically delete tracking cookies after scanning/cleaning?..

 

[malexous]

Doesn't NIS automatically delete tracking cookies after scanning/cleaning?..

By default, it asks you what to do. You can set it to ignore, ask or automatically delete tracking cookies.

A simple way of reducing the tracking cookies you get is to set your browser to not accept 3rd party cookies.

 

[Nem]

Yeah was just wondering as maybe that's the reason he has them with MSE and not NIS.

 

[JMH]

On the systems where I use MSE, I notice a big influx of tracking cookies. That is not the case on the systems with NIS. I have no idea where those buggers come from because I am 80% on the forum page and occasionally I go to some other technical website to research information.
Every morning I run SAS and it finds 12 to 35 of those buggers. Questions:

1. Could they be coming from the forum
2. Why with MSE and not with NIS
3. Is it possible that SAS "invents" them

whs,
My surfing habits are similar to yours.
I run SuperAntiSpyware Pro, update daily, & scan when offline.
SAS has never found a tracking cookie here.
I would suggest that SF is not responsible for the cookies found on your computer.
On logging out of SF a message is always received saying "All cookies cleared!
As for SAS "inventing" them, I think highly unlikely.

 

[malexous]

Like JMH types, it is not likely that one and three are true.

If you want to check whether Norton has removed tracking cookies you can look in 'Resolved Security Risks' in Norton's history. You should already know, though, as Norton is a pain and will pop-up red claiming security risks have been found and fixed even though it has only found tracking cookies.

 

[Brink]

Hello Wolfgang,

Could you post the name of the cookie files? This will help ID who they may belong to.

These are the ones from us at VF, EF, and SF:

 

[whs]

Thanks everybody. Next time I catch them I will try to find their real names in the Roaming folder-

 

[whs]

Here is a selection of those buggers. I really wonder from where they come:

Adware.Tracking Cookie
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@mediaplex[2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@atwola[2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][3].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@bluestreak[2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@serving-sys[2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@doubleclick[2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][3].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][1].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@apmebf[3].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][2].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@tacoda[1].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\[email protected][1].txt
C:\Users\whs\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\whs@advertising[2].txt

 

[Jacee]

I use CookieWall Network Downloads : CookieWall /// AnalogX

Configure it to 'prompt' and scan every 60 seconds. Delete cookies that you don't want ... save cookies you wand to keep. Click on add/remove and press "ok" so you won't be presented with the same group of cookies over and over again

 

[Bill2]

Some of the cookies you mentioned are familiar. E.g. Ebay inserts the doubleclick and mediaplex cookies.

I found a very interesting concept- "Opt out cookies". Check it out at

World Privacy Forum: Cookie Opt Out

 

[Brink]

Wolfgang,

In addition, I have my cookies set to always block and use the Allow or Deny cookies "Per Site" option instead. This way no cookies get on your system unless you allowed them from a specific website.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Wishmaster]

NIS seems to do an excellent job at keeping after tracking cookies.

If you clicked "automatically remove tracking cookies" when it asked after that first scan, it will continue doing so regularly.

I have similar surfing habits as well, and have found from looking through the NIS logs, theres a ton of similar cookies that have been silently removed, daily.

I think the reason you find them with MSE is its basically a virus scanner. And since tracking cookies arent considered a major threat, it does nothing about them.

Where as NIS has anti spyware built in, and sees tracking cookies as unwanted critters.(depending on your settings)

Its never removed the seven forums cookies though ...

 

[whs]

Thanks everybody for the excellent links. I will use some of the tools and see how it goes. And Wishmaster you are right. With NIS I do not seem to have this tracking cookie invasion. It is just where I use MSE.

 

[Corrine]

whs,

Many vendors stopped including tracking cookies in detection as they are not a security threat and modern browsers have controls to block third-party cookies. Just like MRU's, they are only a means of inflating the numbers.

 

[whs]

Corinne, right, I don't consider them a threat either, just a nuisance.