A new security threat arrives: "Evercookies"

Reader Rome Arnold was alarmed to learn of a new kind of cookie.

• "Is it correct that private browsing does not block the placement of Evercookies (or permanent cookies) on your computer, no matter whether you are using Firefox, Chrome, IE, or Safari?

  "From what I read on the Net, these Evercookies are very difficult to clean because they are placed in multiple locations and can self-regenerate."

Evercookies are indeed real: The author of the Samy worm invented and released a new tool for creating permanent cookies that evade classic cookie-management tools.

Evercookies hide themselves in eight different places, and they can regenerate themselves if you delete them....

That's the start of my current Q&A columns published in this week's Windows Secrets. I discuss what Evercookies are, how they're created, what they do, and how to block and remove them. I also discuss "Local Shared Objects" and similar cookie-like data-storage mechanisms that can also evade basic cookie-management tools.

Other reader-submitted questions answered this week:

• Coping with generic error messages
• Solved: System Restore disk creation failure
• Password managers need strong passwords

Here's the full issue run-down:

The following link includes all articles this week: http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/110217

Free content posted on Feb. 17, 2011:

TOP STORY By Becky Waring A complete guide to Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts Top 20 shortcuts for taming your windows Other programs and lots more shortcuts Better than shortcuts: Windows Aero tricks How to play God and create program shortcuts Using KeyText and AutoHotKey for shortcuts LOUNGE LIFE By Kathleen Atkins Where workers work: data access at home (or not) WACKY WEB WEEK By Revia Romberg Jeggings — style trend gone amok

 
Paid content:

LANGALIST PLUS By Fred Langa A new security threat arrives: Evercookies Reader wants a way to block Evercookies Coping with generic error messages Solved: System Restore disk creation failure Password managers need strong passwords

WOODY'S WINDOWS By Woody Leonhard Internet Explorer 9 — finally a competitor Internet Explorer's twisted road to … success? Taking Internet Explorer 9 for a test drive With all that's new, what's not to like?

IN THE WILD By Robert Vamosi Windows Secrets PC Security Baseline The minimum security tools every PC needs Hardware firewalls — the first line of defense Paid vs. free all-in-one security software Browsers — still the likely path for malware Taking control of application updates

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