What is a cookie and why is it used?

• A. A tool that blocks ads on websites.
• B. A document containing the entire webpage code.
• C. A small piece of data stored by a website on your device to remember information about your session or preferences.
• D. A mechanism to encrypt data between server and browser.

Answer: (C)

A cookie is a small piece of data stored by a website on your device to remember information about your session or your preferences. When you visit the site again, your browser sends that data back to the site, letting it recognize you, keep you logged in across pages, remember items in a shopping cart, or apply your chosen language or theme. Cookies are not tools to block ads, they don’t hold the entire webpage code, and they aren’t a method for encrypting data between the server and your browser. So the description that cookies are a tiny data record saved by a site on your device to remember your session or preferences fits best. You can manage or delete cookies in your browser settings if you want more control over what information is stored.