A document informing users about the presence of cookies on the site.
The www.hektomeron.com site uses cookies.
The following information is intended to inform the user about the placement, use, and administration of the cookies used by the www.tnb.ro website.
Please read carefully the following information:
This website uses own and third party cookies to provide visitors with a much better navigation experience and services tailored to the needs and interests of each. In what we call “web 2.0,” cookies play an important role in facilitating the access and delivery of multiple services the user enjoys on the Internet, such as:
Customizing certain settings such as the language in which a site is viewed, the currency in which certain prices or tariffs are expressed, keeping the options for different products (measures, other details, etc.) in the shopping cart (and memorizing these options) – thus generating the flexibility of the shopping cart (accessing old preferences by clicking on the button “Forward ” and ” Back”).
Cookies provide site owners with valuable feedback on how their sites are used by users so they can make them even more effective and accessible to users .
They allow multimedia or other applications on other sites to be included in a particular site to create a more valuable, useful, and enjoyable browsing experience;
Improve the efficiency of online advertising.
What is a cookie?
An “Internet Cookie” (also known as “cookie browser” or “HTTP cookie” or simply “cookie”) is a small file of letters and numbers that shall be stored on your computer, other equipment of a user accessing the Internet. The cookie is installed by a browser-based request (such as Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (it does not contain software, viruses or spyware, and cannot access the information on the hard drive user).
A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or the cookie value. Furthermore, the duration of a cookie is determined; technically, only the web server which sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.
Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users.
There are 2 large categories of cookies
Session cookies – they are temporarily stored in the web browser’s cookie folder to save them until the user exits the website or closes the browser window (e.g. when logging in / out of a webmail or social networking account).
Persistent cookies – these are stored on the hard drive of a computer or device (and generally depend on the default cookie lifetime). Persistent cookies include those placed on a website other than the one the user is currently visiting – known as ‘third party cookies’ – which can be used anonymously to memorize a user’s interests, so that advertising is delivered as relevant as possible to users.
What are the benefits of cookies?
A cookie contains information that links a web browser (user) and a specific web-server (website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the already stored information and respond accordingly. Cookies provide users with a pleasant browsing experience and support the efforts of many websites to provide user-friendly services: e.g. – online privacy preferences, site language options, shopping carts, or relevant advertising.
What is the life of a cookie?
Cookies are managed by web servers. The life of a cookie may vary significantly, depending on the purpose for which it is placed. Some cookies are used only for one session (session cookies) and are no longer retained once the user has left the website and some cookies are retained and reused each time the user returns to that site (‘permanent cookies ‘). However, cookies may be deleted by a user at any time through browser settings.
What are cookies placed by third parties?
Certain sections of content on some sites may be provided by third parties / vendors (e.g. news box, video or advertisement). These third parties may also place cookies through the site and they are called “third party cookies”, because they are not placed by the owner of that website. Third-party vendors must also comply with the applicable law and privacy policies of the site owner.
How cookies are used by this site
Visiting this site may place cookies for:
• Site performance
• Visitor analysis cookies
• Geo-targeting cookies
• Registration cookies
• Advertising cookies
•Cookies of advertisement providers
These cookies may come from the following third parties: (Google, Facebook)
Performance cookies
This type of cookie retains the user’s preferences on this site, so they no longer need to be set on every site visit.
Visitor analysis cookies
Whenever a user visits this site, third-party analytics software generates a user’s analysis cookie. This cookie tells us if you’ve visited this site before. The browser will tell us if you have this cookie, and if not, we shall generate one. It allows the monitoring of the unique users who visit us and how often they do it. As long as you are not registered on this site, this cookie cannot be used to identify individuals, they are only used for statistical purposes. If you are registered, you also know the details that we have provided, such as e-mail and username – which is subject to confidentiality and the provisions of the Personal Data Privacy Policy and the legislation in force on personal data protection.
Geo-targeting cookies
These cookies are used by software that determines which country you come from. It is completely anonymous and is used only to target the content – even when you are on our page in Romanian or in another language you receive the same advertisement.
Registration cookies
When you register on this site, we generate a cookie that tells us if you are registered or not. Our servers use these cookies to show us your account and if you have permission for a particular service. If you have not selected “keep me registered”, this cookie shall automatically delete itself when you close your browser or computer.
Other third-party cookies
On some pages, third parties can set their own anonymous cookies in order to track the success of an application, or to customize an application. Due to the use of this site, this site cannot access these cookies, just as third parties cannot access the cookies owned by this site. For example, when you share an article using the social network button on this site, that social network shall record your activity.
What type of information is stored and accessed through cookies?
Cookies store information in a small text file that allows a website to recognize a browser. The web server shall recognize your browser until the cookie expires or is deleted.
The cookie stores important information that enhances the Internet browsing experience (for example, the settings of the language in which a site is wanted, keeping a user logged in to the webmail account, online banking security, keeping products in the shopping cart).
Why are cookies important for the Internet?
Cookies are the focal point of the efficient Internet function, helping to generate a friendly browsing experience and tailored 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 you shall not receive online advertising – but only that it will no longer be able to keep track of your preferences and interests highlighted by your browsing behavior.
Examples of important uses of cookies (not requiring user authentication via an account):
Content and services tailored to user preferences – news, weather, sports, maps, public and governmental services, entertainment and service sites of travel.
Offers tailored to the interests of users – password retention, language preferences (e.g.: displaying search results in Romanian).
Retention of child protection filters for content on the Internet (family mode options, safe search functions).
Limiting ad dissemination frequency – limits the number of impressions of an ad for a particular user on a site.
Provision of more relevant advertising for the user.
Measurement, optimization, and analytics features – such as confirming a certain level of traffic on a website, what type of content is being viewed, and how a user reaches a website (e.g. through search engines, directly from other websites etc.). Websites run these analyses 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 are not made up of pieces of code so that they cannot be executed or can run themselves. 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 and consistently mark cookies to be deleted in anti-virus / anti-spyware removal / scanning procedures. In general, browsers have built- in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, shelf life, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site.
Other security issues related to cookies
Because identity protection is very valuable and is the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what issues cookies can generate. Because their information is constantly transmitted in both directions between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person interferes with 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 (e.g. an unsecured WiFi network).
Other cookie-based attacks involve bad cookie settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to mislead browsers to send information via unsecured channels. Attackers then use the information for purposes of unauthorized access to certain sites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate method of protecting personal information.
Tips for safe and responsible cookie-based navigation
Because of 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 popular and used sites including Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.
Here are some tips to make sure you are surfing without worries, but using cookies:
Customize your browser settings for cookies to reflect a comfortable cookie-use level for you.
If you do not mind cookies and you are the only person using your computer, you can set expiration dates to store your browsing history and personal data.
If you share your computer access, you can consider the browser setting to delete individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is a way to access sites that place cookies and deletes any visitor information when you close the browsing session.
Install and constantly update your anti-spyware applications
Many of the applications for detecting and preventing spyware include site attacks detection. This prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software. Make sure your browser is always up-to-date. Many of the cookies attacks are exploited by exploiting the weaknesses of the old browser versions.
Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided, if you want to enjoy access to the best and largest websites on the Internet – local or international. With a clear understanding of how they work and the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures so you can safely browse the Internet.
How do I stop cookies?
Disabling and refusing to receive cookies can make some sites unfeasible or difficult to visit and use. Also, refusing to accept cookies does not mean you shall not receive / see online advertising anymore. It is possible to set up in the browser so that these cookies are no longer supported or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a particular site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you shall not be able to leave comments.
All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in your browser’s “Options” or “Favourites” menu.
