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.
Kim A. Keck ’93 MBA has been appointed as the president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Ms. Keck will be Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island’s first female president and CEO and the company’s seventh overall in its 77-year history. She joins the company from her previous position as senior vice president at Aetna.
Bruce K. Reichenbacher ’96 MBA has been appointed to the executive team as the director of finance at the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California. Mr. Reichenbacher previously worked as the assistant general manager and director of finance at Luxe City Center Hotel in Los Angeles, California where he oversaw all aspects of accounting operations and financial reporting. He shares his passion for the hospitality industry with students at Cal State Long Beach where he has taught classes in Hospitality Management.
Stephen C. Pikiell ’90 has been hired by Rutgers University as its new men’s basketball coach. Mr. Pikiell was captain of the 1990 team that won Huskies’ first Big East title. He was also previously the coach of Stony Brook and led them to six 20-win seasons in the last seven years.
James R. Valente ’95 MBA has been appointed to Global Head of Real Estate for MSCI Inc. Mr. Valente has been with MSCI since 2011, where he has managed both the North American client base, as well as the Global Product functions for Real Estate. He has more than 20 years of experience in the institution real estate investment management industry having previously held senior research and strategy positions at BentallKennedy, ING Clarion and SSR Realty. Mr. Valente is a Fellow of the Homer Hoyt Institute and a member of the Pension Real Estate Association’s (PREA) Research Affinity Group. He is also a frequent speaker at industry events and his research and views on real estate have appeared in both academic and trade publications.
Anthony L. Mattacchione ’98 MBA has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Bruker Corporation. Mr. Mattacchione previously served as Bruker’s Senior Vice President of Finance and Accounting. He has served as Chief Financial Officer of EMD Millipore Corporation as well as Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer. He has also held various financial leadership roles during his 16 years at Gerber Scientific. Mr. Mattacchione has more than thirty years of financial, accounting, operational and management experience.
Janet S. Grace ’97 EMBA has been appointed as a chief regulator of the Captive and Alternative Risk division at the Connecticut Insurance Department. A former consultant for Towers Watson, Ms. Grace has more than 20 years of experience in risk identification and coverage analysis. She is also a veteran of the Hartford where she worked for 20 years as a senior account executive.
Robert Becker ’93 MBA has been appointed to the HMS Holdings Corporation Board of Directors. Mr. Becker was the chief executive officer (retired) of Wolters Kluwer Health. Mr. Becker has held several executive positions at companies such as Jupiter-Media Metrix and Thomson Corporation.
Mary K. Fenton ’91 MBA has been appointed as a co-chair of CBIA’s Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council. Established in January 2015, the overarching mission of the Connecticut Bioscience Growth Council is to grow Connecticut’s bioscience sector. The Council also facilitates collaboration among the Connecticut life science community and communication with the Connecticut and federal policy makers, as well as the public. Ms. Fenton is currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer of Achillion Pharmeceuticals, Inc.
Andrew L. Glassman ’90 has been appointed Vice President of Strategy with CSX Corporation. Mr. Glassman brings 25 years of experience in corporate finance to his new role. He will be overseeing company-wide initiatives that position CSX for success.
Michael J. Gerstenfeld ’96 MBA founder of Ensa.com will be exhibiting the groundbreaking smart wellness app at the Web Summit 2015 in Dublin, Ireland. Ensa is the 1st mobile solution that enables users to connect directly to their electronic health record via their mobile device as well as get real-time personalized wellness recommendations, feedback and alerts on their smartwatch.
Andrew L. Glassman ’90 has been appointed Vice President of Strategy with CSX Corporation. Mr. Glassman brings 25 years of experience in corporate finance to his new role. He will be overseeing company-wide initiatives that position CSX for success.
