ABSTRACT

When cookies were first being discovered, rumors went

around that these cookies could scan information off your

hard drive and collect details about you, such as your

passwords, credit card numbers, or a list of software on

your computer. These rumors were rejected when it was

explained that a cookie is not an executable program and

can do nothing directly to your computer. In simple terms,

cookies are small, unique text files created by a Web site

and sent to a computer’s hard drive. They contain a name, a

value, an expiration date, and the originating site. The

header contains this information and is removed from the

document before the browser displays it. You will never be

able to see this header, even if you execute the view or

document source commands in your browser. The header is

part of the cookie when it is created. When it is put on your

hard drive, the header is left off. The only information left

of the cookie is relevant to the server and no one else.