Lifelongeducation.tech uses cookies to provide better surfing experience to the visitors and services adjusted to the needs and interests of each visitor.

1. What are ”cookies”?

A ”cookie” is a small, usually encrypted file located in the files of the web browser you use. ”Cookies” are created by online content creators for website users in order to help them surf the internet in a more efficient way and to give access to certain functions.

These files are not viruses. Because these files do not contain codes, they cannot be executed and cannot access other files or folders from your computer. If they store information about the user’s internet surfing, both specific addresses and surfing on various websites, ”cookies” can be used as a form of spyware. The anti-spyware software, being aware of this possible problem, eliminates certain ”cookies” after routine checks.

2. Why do we use ”cookies”?

We use ”cookies” to provide better surfing experience to the users of this webpage and services adjusted to their needs and interests, for statistical analyses regarding the way in which the webpage is used, to improve the website/application. Cookies help us:

• customize certain settings such as: the language in which a website is viewed, the currency in which certain prices or fees are expressed, the storage of options for various products/services
• they offer a valuable feedback about the way in which the website is used by the users, so that we can make it even more efficient and accessible to the users
• they allow multimedia or another types of applications from other websites to be included in a certain website in order to create a more valuable, useful and pleasant surfing experience;
• they improve the efficiency of online advertising.

Sometimes, ”cookies” can be used to keep track of your visits on third-party webpages.

3. What kind of ”cookies” do we use?

When it comes to storage, from a temporal point of view we use:

• ”permanent cookies”; they remain on the user’s device for a fixed period of time, specified in the ”cookie”. They are used each time the user visits the address which created that file.
• ”session cookies”; these files are temporary. They allow the operators of websites to connect the actions a user carries out during an internet surfing session.

Also, when it comes to functionality, we use four different types of cookies:

• Strictly necessary cookies; they are essential to allow surfing on the webpage and to use its applications. In their absence, the users could not use basic services such as creating an account or using the shopping cart. These files do not gather information about users that might be used for marketing purposes or to follow the user on the internet.
• Performance cookies: they collect statistic data anonymously regarding the manner in which the webpage is used. They do not contain personal data and are used to improve the experience of users when they surf the webpage.
• Functionality cookies; by means of these cookies, the operator allows the users to choose different options and characteristics of the webpage. For example, some functionality cookies provide the possibility to memorize a password, language preferences, region, to provide personal information about current location or data about weather or traffic from the user's location.
• Advertising and targeting cookies; they are used to improve the relevance of the advertising delivered to you. They can also limit the number of displays of an ad considered irrelevant or follow the efficiency of an advertising campaign by gathering statistics regarding the number of accesses by the users. Also, an important function that some of these cookies have is to provide security in online transactions. Usually these cookies are used by third-party operators, making a connection between the webpages visited by the users, but cannot trace the identity of the user because no connection is made between the online profile and the processed data.

We have third-party cookies on our website/application. Third parties, such as advertising companies or the providers of external services, such as internet traffic analysis, can use cookies or other similar plug-ins to gather information about your visit on our website.

4. How can you deactivate ”cookies”?

First, you should know that once the cookies are deleted all the preferences and settings for the webpage are deleted. Also, certain webpages will not work properly or some functions will disappear if you eliminate cookies.

For these reasons, we do not recommend that you reject cookies when you visit our website. Most browsers accept cookies automatically, but you can change this option depending on the browser you use. To do so, usually you have to access the ”settings” or ”preferences” option of your browser. For further details, you can access one of the links below:

• Opera: https://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/cookies/
• Firefox: https://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/cookies-information-websites-store-on-your-computer?redirectlocale=en-US&redirectslug=Cookies
• Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en
• Safari: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

5. Security and confidentiality issues

Cookies are NOT viruses! They do not consist of bits of code, so they cannot be executed and cannot run alone, cannot duplicate or replicate on other networks to run or replicate again.

Generally, browsers have integrated confidentiality settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user visited a certain website.

Cookies are not dangerous, but because they constantly send information in both ways between the browser and the website, if a hacker or unauthorised person intervenes in the data transmission path, the information contained by cookies can be intercepted. Although very rarely, still this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g. a non-secured WiFi network).

Other attacks based on cookies involve wrong settings of cookies on servers, which can be exploited by the hackers.

It is important to know that cookie deactivation will not allow the access of users to the most widespread and used websites such as Gmail, Yahoo, Youtube and others. There are a few basic security measures which you can adopt to surf safely with the help of cookies.

• Customize the settings of your browser regarding cookies to reflect a security level that is comfortable for you when it comes to the use of cookies. You can set long expiry deadlines for the storage of navigation history and personal access data.
• If you use the computer together with other persons, you can set the browser to erase individual navigation data each time you close the browser.
• Install and constantly update anti-spyware applications.
• Make sure that your browser is permanently updated. Many attacks based on cookies occur by exploiting the weaknesses of old browser versions.