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.
Edward J. Joyce ’03 MBA has joined the senior management team of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. as the vice president of investor relations and corporate communications. Mr. Joyce will be instrumental in the company’s transition to their next stage of growth.
Irwin B. Boruchow ’11 MBA has joined the equity research team at Wells Fargo Securities as managing director and senior specialty retail analyst. Mr. Boruchow covers specialty softlines retail, apparel/textile brands, footwear and department stores.
Judith S. Willis ’85 MBA has joined Health Plus Management, LLC as Vice President of Marketing. Ms. Willis is responsible for all strategic and tactical marketing, PR and digital marketing efforts. Ms. Willis also provides marketing support needed for the 18 physical medicine and rehabilitation offices managed by HPM and brings over 25 years of experience in marketing and consulting.
Margaret M. Osora ’89 MBAhas been appointed as the vice president of Human Resources for the Boys & Girls Village, Inc. Mrs. Osora has held senior-level human resources positions across Connecticut in both corporate and non-profit sectors during her more than 20 year career.
Tara A. Gerber ’14 MBA has been named to the 2015 Hartford Business Journal 40 Under 40 List. Ms. Gerber is the senior director of strategy and partnerships with Travelers.
Lynn R. Esenwine ’12 MBAhas been appointed by MassMutual as vice president of its pension buyout business. Ms. Esenwine will be responsible for market and business development, advisor and key account management, product and solution design, quoting and analysis of business cases, oversight of plan support, and identifying future opportunities in the risk transfer market.
Minal Patel Davis ’01 MBA, ’01 JDhas been named by Houston’s Mayor Parker, the first special advisor to the mayor on human trafficking. Mrs. Davis will coordinate with city, county, state and federal law enforcement to pursue and maintain relationships with all levels of government to best coordinate efforts and messaging around the issue of human trafficking.
Julianne Avallone ’02, ’06 MBA, ’07 JDhas been named to the 2015 Hartford Business Journal 40 Under 40 List. Mrs. Avallone is an attorney with Ford & Paulekas, LLP in Hartford.
Sudhakar V. Shenoy ’71 MS, ’73 MBAhas joined the board of directors of Government Proposal Solutions, Inc. Mr. Shenoy has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Most Influential People in the Washington, D. C. high-tech industry and was previously selected as Executive of the Year by Northern Virginia GovCon Council. Mr. Shenoy also is the founder, chairman and CEO of IMC, Inc. and considered to be a nationally recognized expert who has built an award-winning technology solutions company.
