Cookie talk...

[George]

I'm getting up to speed on spyware and so forth, am using a WinXP-pro PC and
just installed Adaware, for starters. It occurred to me...

1) If I can block cookies in my IE6 browser (right click icon > Properties >
Privacy tab > Set to "Block All Cookies" or "High"), then why is
anti-spyware needed to take cookies out "after the fact" or ask/warn me
about the cookie?

2) Assuming #1 is right, is there any benefit of using spyware vs. IE6 to
"control" cookies being served up?

3) Are cookies really a big deal? Isn't that how Amazon knows my name.
And, Adware hasn't mentioned that one on my PC.

Thanks for newbie patience,
George

 

[Gary]

IE has its gates so wide open, it will allow malicious codes via ActiveX to
make changes to the registry and install programs you don't want.
Even though you could install programs that you may think don't have
spyware, look again at some of the free programs on the net. In the Eula's
you'll find references to other programs that will be installed on your
computer...

In short you can't afford to have your PC unshielded from spyware. It's a
performance hit to have more supervision programs operating, but the
consequences of not having that performance hit is far, far worse.

The good Spyware tools distinguish the ratbags from the trusted sites, so
any malevolent cookies are detected (and removed). This includes Hotmail