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.