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Flash
Cookies Present Persistent Privacy Risk
Most cautious Internet users are aware of the privacy risks associated
with allowing websites to store cookies on users'
computers. In most cases, users will assume that disabling
cookies in their browser prevents websites from storing data on the
local PC. However, even with cookies disabled, websites are
increasingly utilizing Flash applications to store Flash cookies
on the user's computer using Adobe / Macromedia Flash Player.
More precisely, these Flash cookies are Local
Shared Objects (LSOs) that are found in all operating systems that
have Flash Player installed: Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, as
well as Linux distributions. The Flash cookies, or supercookies,
are currently used by 58 of the top 100 web sites, according to a new
study by the University of California, Berkeley. Even when
no visible Flash application is present on the web page, the websites
silently use these supercookies to store potentially
personally-identifiable information on the user's PC, including
browsing history and user-submitted information. The
aforementioned study also found that these Flash cookies are able to
undelete cookies that the user has previously deleted.
According to the Berkeley report, entitled Flash
Cookies and Privacy, "even the ‘Private Browsing' mode recently added to most browsers such as Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3 still allows Flash cookies to operate fully and track the user." This
occurs surreptitiously while the user assumes that no tracking
information is stored.
Users have several options to
resolve this potential breach of privacy.
(1) Delete the Flash cookies and directories
manually. Windows XP/2000:
C:\Documents and
Settings\USER\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects
Windows 7 or Vista:
C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Macromedia\Flash Player\#SharedObjects\
Mac OS X:
/Users/USER/Library/Preferences/Macromedia/Flash\ Player/#SharedObjects//*
/Users/USER/Library/Preferences/Macromedia/Flash\Player/macromedia.com/support/flashplayer/sys/*
(2) Change the settings in Adobe / Macromedia
Flash Player. Unlike most Windows applications where an icon is
placed in the Start Menu or Control Panel, users are forced to visit
Macromedia's website to change their Flash Player settings.
However in several environments, the settings reverted back to their
default settings. Users may be shocked to learn that Flash
Player also allows these websites to access the computer's webcam and
microphone. To change these settings, visit:
http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager07.html
Make sure to click on all 6 tabs when
changing the desired settings.
(3) For users running Mozilla Firefox, a free
add-on named BetterPrivacy
can automatically delete these Flash cookies as often as
every minute. This add-on is recommended by the Berkeley
study. For more information, visit:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6623
(4) Windows users can download a free
application named CCleaner to
delete their flash cookies, as well as history, temporary files and
more. CCleaner is compatible with Internet Explorer, Mozilla
Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and Safari. For more information
on CCleaner, visit: http://www.ccleaner.com
By taking these precautions, users can safely browse the Internet while
simultaneously preventing websites and third-party advertisers from
tracking every click.
Bill Kurzenberger
Network+, A+, MCP, MCDST
Published October 23, 2009
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Featured
Release
Microsoft
Windows 7
With the release of Windows 7 on
October 22nd,
Microsoft aims to reclaim its dominance in the PC operating system
market.
Windows 7 boasts several new features, including the
impressive Windows
Media Center. Libraries, another new feature, integrates with
Windows Explorer to organize the user's photos, video and audio
files for easy access.
In most testing environments, Windows 7 has been found to use less CPU
power and RAM to perform the same functions that used greater
resources on Windows Vista.
Initial reviews for Windows 7 have been generally positive.
Although there are reports of hardware driver incompatibilites, most
of these issues can be resolved by selecting Compatibility Mode when
installing buggy drivers.
Vista users will find the Windows 7 environment to be quite
similar to Windows Vista. Users upgrading from Windows XP may
initially be unaccustomed to the new interface; however, the XP Mode
feature eases the transition to the Windows 7
experience.
Website:
Microsoft.com/Windows
Call-a-Tek's
Windows 7 Links
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