"Data Miner" Cookie

Hello all:

A "Data Miner" Cookie is getting thru my "Spyblaster" program. How do we notify them of this new threat. However, it appears to be a low level threat.

Thank you for any suggestions.

 

Howdy and welcome - If it is SpywareBlaster to which you refer, I have moved your post to the proper forum where the issue can be addressed

 

Hello again:

Yes, it is getting thru the "Spyware Blaster" program. Thank you for moving it to the correct forum and my heads up on the correct name of my software!
Perhaps someone can have them add this immunity to a future update.

Spyhater

 

"Data miner" is a broad generic term for tracking cookies. You'd have to provide specific information about the specific cookie for it to be added to SB's block list.

You could look where the cookie is stored via the browser and see what info is provided for that specific cookie. Or if you discovered the cookie by doing a scan with an antispyware app like Adaware, for example, what info did the program give you about the cookie? Usually there is at least some specific information about the cookie's source to identify it. This is the kind of specific identifying information is required in order to tailor a specific block for it.

 

Sig:

Thank you for your interest in making the Internet a better place for all. This "Data Miner" is recognized by "Ad-Aware 6.0." It is not recognizwed by "Spybot."

Ad-Aware provides the following information
Vendor: Tracking Cookie
Type: File
C:\windows\cookies\(my name with first initial and last name)

I would be happy to provide more information if you tell me what you need and how to find it.

I have just noticed a warning about compatibility problems with Spybot and Ad-Aware. Hopefully this is not the cause of this alert by Ad-Aware.

 

provide the website where u got it from

regards

 

That's apparently the directory where your cookies are located. If Adaware is showing the specific file location, after your name there should be more info, like the website the cookie is from. Does Adaware show the full path, i.e. info after your name? I haven't used Adware in years but I would imagine that it would have more info available regarding the cookies it finds, like what sites they are associated with. For example, is it an Amazon.com cookie? A hitbox cookie?

Saying it's a "tracking cookie" is like my saying I have a dog. Is it a Chihuahua or a Great Dane? Tan or black or white with brown spots? Male or female? No way to know based on a generic description such as "dog." Specific info regarding the cookie source (the website it is associated with) is required if you want a program to specifically include it for blocking.

For example if I look go to IE Tools, Internet Options, General, Temporary Internet Files, Settings, View files I'll get a page showing the cookies in my temporary internet files. That will show the specific internet addresses of the cookies on the PC, letting me know where each cookie came from. That's the kind of info that is needed.

 

Hello SIG, MCT, and all concerned:

The mystery over the source of my "Data Miner" may be solved. Thanks to SIG, I went to Internet Explorer Tools, Internet Options, Settings, and View Files. I believe the culprit is coming from: www.oregonlive.com (obituaries)

I also see a cooke at zedo.com

The cookie log entries look like this: (my name-first initial and last name) @www.oregonlive.com

Also, (my name first initial and last name) @ www.zedo.com

Thank you so much for helping me find this log file as I have rarely used this resource before and had forgotten about it.

If you need more, just let me know.

Perhaps this will solve this type of tracking cookie and provide SpyBlaster with potential update assistance. I really appreciate their program and the awsome protection it provides us.

Spyhater

 

After a cursory glance, zedo.com appears to be an advertising site that serves up ads to websites. It would be considered a third-party cookie that you pick up on other sites from advertising. But if you're running IE 6 you can block third-party cookies within the browser's privacy setting. I think third party cookies can also be blocked with the Mozilla, Firefox and Opera browsers also.

As to whether it's a candidate for inclusion in Javacool's program, that's for him to decide based on what it actually does. It may be something he may want to include. Perhaps he'll check out zedo.com now that it has been identified.

Oregonlive appears to be a local newspaper web site. It sets a cookie that possibly they use to let them know how their site is used, what features appeal to people, that sort of thing. It's evidently required to read the articles in the site. While it may well be a tracking cookie, I wouldn't be concerned about it frankly. I don't think it's comparable to other cookies that are typically included in antispyware block lists.

For example, I retain cookies for the NY Times, Washington Post and LA Times. They allow me to use their sites and read the articles. Since the oregonlive cookie appears to be this kind of cookie I really don't think it's a candidate for inclusion in SpywareBlaster. I doubt that it would "track" anything outside the newspaper's own website. The cookies SB targets are more those related to known spyware sites and cross-web tracking cookies. You can always delete their cookie after you leave their site, but if you use the site regularly I wouldn't be too concerned if I kept it around, but then some other people would differ with my view. (Some people are against all cookies, I'm not. I keep some for site logins, newspapers, etc.) It's up to you to decide what you are comfortable with.