ATLANTA — As we head into the online holiday shopping season, the FBI is warning you about protecting your computer cookies.
Cookies are small pieces of data that track your online activity used to remember preferences like logins and passwords to make your online experience smoother.
But the information they store is extremely valuable to cybercriminals.
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“For the bad guys this is the new preferred way of targeting individuals,” FBI Special Agent Joe Zadik told Channel 2′s Lori Wilson.
Zadik says the “remember me” cookie stays on any device for 30 days and while it saves you from having to log on to accounts you use often, it also makes it easier for thieves to steal your info.
He says not even two-factor authentication can protect you if a thief steals your cookies.
“Then when they have that cookie they can pretend to be you to the website you’re interacting with,” Zadik said. “The cookie has all that stored in it. So if they can get the cookie, they can beat you.”
But there are ways to protect yourself.
Zadik recommends clearing your browser’s cache, history, and cookies on all of your devices regularly.
Also, rarely use “remember me” cookies, if ever.
He says to keep your antivirus software up to date and he recommends checking your list of logged-in devices to make sure they all belong to you.
If you think you’ve been the victim of an online hack or attack you can report it to the FBI.
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