Helping you to get the most out of your computer, below are tips which are expanded upon from our newsletter. To be added to our mailing list of handy tips, please send an email to mail@vantageit.co.uk
Cookies are text files stored by web sites on your computer and hold information relating to the websites you visit. They can be used constructively and legitimately, for example by web sites you login to that present you with information relevant to you, and websites which utilise online shopping carts. However, some cookies can also be bad and pose a threat to your privacy.
Cookies cannot be used to steal information from your computer, they can only be used to store information you have provided at some point. Each time you visit a website which uses cookies for advertising, data such as the last website you visited, your browser type, your computer name and IP address may all be recorded and used to serve adverts tailored to you, plus track where you have been browsing on the internet.
One thing to bear in mind is that cookies can store, for example, login names or account numbers, so anyone sitting at your PC can potentially view such details.
With the PCs that Vantage IT supplies or supports, the cookie settings are initially set to block some (normally advertising) types and to prompt the user about others. Generally, if you are visiting a site that will not be used for purchasing products, you should be safe to block all cookies issued by that site. However, on the odd occasion, a site may require a cookie to hold something innocuous, such as your language selection or personal preferences and in these instances the cookie settings may require changing.
To do this in Internet Explorer, click Tools then Internet Options and select the Privacy tab. The blocked sites can be viewed by clicking the Sites button (or Edit button in pre-Service Pack 2 versions of Windows XP). The settings for the way cookies are handled can be adjusted by clicking the Advanced button. Please contact Vantage IT if you have any questions or require assistance modifying your settings.
Vantage IT Solutions Ltd
Unit 2, Airfield Park
Cheddington Lane
Long Marston
Tring
Hertfordshire
HP23 4QR
Vantage IT Home 
