What’s a cookie?
A “cookie” is a piece of information
that is stored on your computer’s hard drive and which records how you move
your way around a website so that, when you revisit that website, it can
present tailored options based on the information stored about your last visit.
Cookies can also be used to analyze traffic and for advertising and marketing
purposes.
Cookies are used by nearly all websites and do not harm your
system.
If
you want to check or change what types of cookies you accept, this can usually
be altered within your browser settings. You can block cookies at any time by
activating the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of
all or some cookies. By not blocking cookies and continuing to browse you are
authorizing the use of cookies. If you use your browser settings to block all
cookies (including essential cookies) you may not be able to access all or
parts of our site.
How
do we use cookies?
We use cookies to track your use of
our website. This enables us to understand how you use the site and track any
patterns with regards how you are using our website. This helps us to develop
and improve our website as well as products and / or services in response to
what you might need or want.
Cookies are either:
– Session cookies: these are only stored on your computer
during your web session and are automatically deleted when you close your
browser
– they usually store an anonymous session ID allowing you to browse a
website without having to log in to each page but they do not collect any
personal data from your computer; or
–
Persistent cookies: a persistent cookie is stored as a file on your computer
and it remains there when you close your web browser. The cookie can be read by
the website that created it when you visit that website again. We use
persistent cookies for Google Analytics.
Cookies can also be categorized as
follows:
– Strictly necessary cookies: These cookies are essential to
enable you to use the website effectively, such as when buying a product and /
or service, and therefore cannot be turned off. Without these cookies, the
services available to you on our website cannot be provided. These cookies do
not gather information about you that could be used for marketing or
remembering where you have been on the internet.
–
Performance cookies: These cookies enable us to monitor and improve the
performance of our website. For example, they allow us to count visits,
identify traffic sources and see which parts of the site are most popular.
–
Functionality cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember choices you
make and provide enhanced features. For instance, we may be able to provide you
with news or updates relevant to the services you use. They may also be used to
provide services you have requested such as viewing a video or commenting on a
blog. The information these cookies collect is usually anonymized.
Please
note that third parties who advertise on our website (including, for example,
advertising networks and providers of external services like web traffic
analysis services) may also use cookies, over which we have no control. These
cookies are likely to be analytical/performance cookies or targeting cookies.
