Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
EBV alumnus Jason Otrin (Nathan Oldham/UConn School of Business)
Imagine a young child wandering alone in the woods on a frigid afternoon, with each passing minute decreasing the likelihood of a successful rescue.
UConn alumnus Jason Otrin would like to encourage emergency responders in Connecticut, and across the nation, to adopt the use of drones for such public-safety emergencies. Continue Reading
UConn Today – A new partnership between the University of Connecticut and Innovate Stamford aims to provide a platform of new programs that will strengthen the city’s position as a leader in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Cal Miller-Stevens, left, and her niece Capri Frank pose for a photo inside the store at Miller Foods, Inc., a fourth-generation, family owned and operated food business located in Avon, Conn. Behind them is a photo taken in the early 1960s, in the same location. From left is family matriarch Margaret “Oma” Miller and her two daughters, Sandi Trudeau (Frank’s mother) and Miller-Stevens. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)
UConn Revamps Family Business Program, Offers Bootcamp, Summer Internship Program to Help Multi-Generational Companies Thrive
Ask Julie Paine-Miller, vice president of Paine’s Inc. Recycling and Rubbish Removal, what it is like to be employed in a family-owned business, and she will share that some of her fondest childhood memories involve riding in her family’s garbage trucks.
“I have a deep-seated love for trash!,” Paine-Miller said with a laugh. “I have memories of being around the trucks from the time I was a little girl.”Continue Reading
Stars and Stripes – U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said Friday he expects there to be a congressional hearing early in the new Congress to “pin down” who is accountable for delays in education benefit payments to hundreds of thousands of veterans across the country.
David Noble (left) and Peter Barkman (Right) during a recent installment of the Global Entrepreneurship Speaker Series at UConn. (Arminda Kamphausen / UConn School of Business)Four prominent entrepreneurs came to campus this semester to talk about their companies, their visions, and ways in which students can embrace industry disruption.Continue Reading
Junior Daniel Ruskin, one of the winners of the first “Get Seeded” competition, organized by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. (Nathan Oldham / UConn School of Business)
Junior Daniel Ruskin has an idea for creating an in-home, hand-held voting machine that electors would receive when they register to vote.Continue Reading
When entrepreneur Peter J. Werth pledged more than $22 million to the University of Connecticut last winter, for the creation of the Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, a new chapter was written in UConn’s history.Continue Reading
Alexa Curtis is a social media star, blogger, and influencer. She is speaking at the Werth Institute on Nov. 27th (Photo Courtesy Alexa Curtis)
Everyone is terrified to get out of their comfort zone and pursue their passion, but everyone wants to do it.Continue Reading