PornHub
PornHub is a tracking cookie associated with the popular free pornographic website with the same name. To understand the PornHub tracking cookie, it is first important to understand that, when we talk about cookies, we are not talking about delicious baked goodies. Rather, we are talking about HTTP cookies, which are also known as tracking cookies. These are nothing more than snippets of text which your Internet browser stores, containing data that a website uses to know who you are what your're visiting. The server which the computer user is accessing sends this snippet of text to the user's Internet browser, which then sends the text back whenever the user makes contact with that server. There are many legitimate uses for HTTP cookies, such as logging onto your accounts, keeping you logged in while you browser, keeping track of your preferences, your gaming scores or any items you may have bought online. To understand cookies, remember, they are not programs but simple data that have no effect on the Internet browser, but on the server you're accessing. This is why the PornHub tracking cookie cannot be accurately classified as a virus or a spyware infection. According to ESG PC security researchers, like all cookies, the PornHub tracking cookie is not a malware application that actively affects your computer. However, the presence of this cookie allows your computer to be tracked across different sites.
If It is Not Malware, Then Why is the PornHub Tracking Cookie Dangerous?
As was mentioned before, the PornHub tracking cookie cannot be classified as a malware infection. However, this is not to say that this tracking cookie is benign or innocuous. In fact, the PornHub tracking cookie poses a threat to your privacy. Since the PornHub tracking cookie can be used to keep track of your online activity, many anti-spyware applications classify PornHub tracking cookie as a spyware infection. While the effect is not entirely the same, there are similarities in that the PornHub tracking cookie allows unscrupulous individuals to know which websites you visit, as well as your online activity. The PornHub tracking cookie, in particular, is associated with a large network of pornographic websites, which is also information that most individuals would rather keep private and prevent from being divulged. The PornHub tracking cookie has also been associated with pop-up windows and advertisements. Fortunately, most Internet browsers give you the option of eliminating all stored cookies as well as blocking specific unwanted tracking cookies.
