This policy refers to cookies and web pages operated by RAINFORESTFISH LTD with registered office in 8 Ludlow Street, Navan, Co. Meath, Rep. of Ireland . (hereinafter referred to as Rainforestfish).
WHAT ARE COOKIES?
The cookie is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, which will be stored on your computer, mobile terminal or other equipment of a user accessing the Internet. The cookie is installed by request issued by a web server to a browser (eg Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (it does not contain software, viruses or spyware and can not access the information on the user’s hard drive).
WHAT ARE COOKIES USED FOR?
These files make it possible to recognize the user’s terminal and present the content in a relevant way, adapted to the user’s preferences. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support Rainforestfish efforts to provide user-friendly services: e.g.: – online privacy preferences, shopping cart or relevant advertising. They are also used in the preparation of aggregated anonymous statistics that help us understand how a user benefits from our web pages, allowing us to improve their structure and content, excluding the user’s personal identification.
WHAT COOKIES DO WE USE?
We use two types of Cookies: per session and fixed. The latter are temporary files that remain in the user’s terminal until the end of the session or closing the application (web browser). The fixed files remain on the user’s terminal for a period of time in the Cookie’s parameters or until they are manually deleted by the user.
HOW ARE COOKIES USED BY THIS SITE?
A visit to this site may place cookies for the purposes of:
- Site performance cookies
- Visitor analysis cookies
- Cookies for geotargeting
- Registration cookies
- Advertising cookies
- Cookies of advertising providers
DO COOKIES CONTAIN PERSONAL DATA?
Cookies themselves do not require information with a personal device in order to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users. Personal data collected through the use of Cookies can only be collected to facilitate certain functionalities for the user. Such data is encrypted in a way that makes it impossible for unauthorized persons to access them.
DELETING COOKIES
Generally, an application used to access web pages allows you to save Cookies on your terminal by default. These settings can be changed so that the automatic administration of Cookies is blocked by the web browser or the user is informed each time cookies are sent to his terminal. Detailed information about the possibilities and ways of managing cookies can be found in the settings area of the application (web browser). Limiting the use of Cookies may affect certain functionalities of the website.
WHY ARE COOKIES IMPORTANT FOR THE INTERNET?
Cookies are the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience and adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Denying or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use. Denying or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – but only that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests, highlighted by your browsing behavior.
Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require authentication of a user through an account):
- Content and services tailored to the user’s preferences – categories of products and services.
- Offers tailored to the interests of users – retention of passwords.
- Retaining child protection filters on Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions).
- Limiting the frequency of ad serving – limiting the number of hits of an advertisement for a particular user on a site.
- Providing more relevant advertising to the user.
- Measurement, optimization and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is viewed and how a user reaches a website (eg through search engines, directly, from other websites, etc.). Websites run these analyzes of their use to improve sites for the benefit of users.
SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES
Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They’re not made up of pieces of code so they can’t be executed or they can’t auto-run. Consequently, they cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again. Because they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on several other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies to be deleted in anti-virus / anti-spyware deletion / scanning procedures.
In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site. Other security aspects related to cookies: Because identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what possible problems cookies can create. Because through them information is constantly transmitted in both ways between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes in the data transmission path, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (eg an unsecured WiFi network).
Other cookie-based attacks involve wrong cookie settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. The attackers then use the information for the purpose of unauthorized access to certain sites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate method of protecting your personal information.
Tips for safe and responsible browsing, based on cookies.
Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited sites and the largest ones use cookies, they are almost inevitable. Disabling cookies will not allow the user access to the most widespread and used sites including Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo and others. Here are some tips that can ensure that you browse without worries but with the help of cookies:
- Customize your browser settings regarding cookies to reflect a comfortable level for you of the security of using cookies.
- If you do not mind cookies and you are the only person using your computer, you can set long expiration dates for storing your browsing history and personal access data.
- If you share access to your computer, you can consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is a way to access sites that place cookies and to delete any visitor information at the end of the browsing session.
- Install and constantly update your antispyware applications.
Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include detecting attacks on websites. Thus, it prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software. Make sure you have your browser always up to date. Many of the attacks based on cookies are carried out by exploiting the weaknesses of the old versions of browsers.
Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and largest sites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of how they operate and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so that you can surf the internet with confidence. Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make certain sites impracticable or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive / see online advertising. It is possible to set your browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted or you can set your browser to accept cookies from a particular site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.
All modern browsers offer the possibility to change the settings of cookies. These settings are usually found in “options” or in the “preferences” menu of your browser. To understand these settings, the following links may be useful, otherwise you can use the “help” option of the browser for more details.
Cookie settings in Edge Explorer
USEFUL LINKS
If you want to know more information about cookies and what they are used for, we recommend the following links:
Microsoft Cookies guide