Cookies implementation and use policy

Cookie Policy

 

Everything you need to know about the cookies used on Hostico

Table of Contents

I. Cookie usage Policy
II. What are Cookies?
III. For what purposes are the cookies used through this website?
IV. What is the lifetime of a Cookie?
V. What are the cookies used by third parties?
VI. Which cookies are used through this website?
VII. Delete / Block Cookies
VIII. Why are cookies important to the Internet?
IX. Security and confidentiality issues
X. Useful links

I. Cookie usage Policy

This Cookies Policy extends to all visitors of the hostico.ro website, regardless of the device used to access this page. The purpose of the information presented below is to provide details to the visitors/users of this site regarding the use, placement, and management of cookie files by Awesome Projects SRL during navigation on this website. By using the term "Hostico" or "hostico.ro" in the course of this text, reference is made to the company named "Awesome Projects SRL."

II. What are Cookies?

An "Internet Cookie" (also referred to as a "browser cookie" or "HTTP cookie" or simply "cookie") represents a file composed of alphanumeric characters, which is of small size and is stored on the electronic device used for internet access.

The process of installing a cookie takes place through a request issued by a web server to a search engine (such as Edge, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, etc.), and it is entirely "passive" in nature (it does not contain software programs, viruses, or spyware and cannot access information from the user's hard disk). The structure of a cookie consists of two components: its name and the information it retains. It is important to mention that cookies do not request information about the user's data but store certain information for the purpose of identifying the device connected to the internet, not for personal use.

From a technical standpoint, only the web server that issued the cookie has the capacity to access it again when a user returns to the internet page associated with that web server.

III. For what purposes are the cookies used through this website?

Cookies are used to enhance users' experience and provide personalized services tailored to the needs and interests of each user. These cookies are used for the following purposes:

  • Facilitating access to the user's account.
  • Providing online assistance.
  • Enabling the possibility of publishing comments on the site.
  • Collecting statistics and analyses of web traffic.
  • Improving the overall use of the webpage, including identifying errors that may occur during visits or usage.
  • Providing anonymous statistics to Hostico, the owner of this webpage, regarding how the page is used.
  • Identifying human behavior to distinguish real users from bot programs.
  • Maintaining a user's authentication session to recognize them as authenticated during site navigation.

IV. What is the lifetime of a Cookie?

The lifespan of a cookie is solely determined by the web server that generated it and can only be accessed again by that web server when the user returns to the associated website. Cookies are divided based on their period of existence into:

  • Session cookies - these are temporarily stored in the search engine and are kept until the user leaves the respective site or closes the browser window. They are used to temporarily retain information relevant to the current session, such as user authentication, the contents of a shopping cart, or other session-specific settings.
  • Persistent cookies - these are stored on the user's hard drive for a period of time set by the web server. Cookies themselves do not request personally identifiable information, and in most cases, they do not personally identify internet users. Persistent cookies are used to retain information and user preferences in the long term, providing a personalized experience when the user returns to the respective site.

V. What are the cookies used by third parties?

Certain sections of content on this webpage may be provided by third-party entities, meaning that these cookies are known as third-party cookies. These third-party cookie providers are also obligated to adhere to data protection provisions and comply with the Privacy Policy available on this webpage. It's important to mention that Hostico does not place or use third-party cookies on its website.

VI. Which cookies are used through this website?

Cookies generated by accessing the hostico.ro website serve functional purposes with the intention of providing an optimal browsing and usage experience:

Functionality
Cookies are designed to store user preferences and provide personalized or enhanced functionalities during navigation.

Client Identification
When creating a customer account directly or indirectly through placing an order, a cookie will be placed for identifying the customer's identity in relation to the respective site, especially when Hostico operators are approached for assistance.

Authentication
These are used to maintain the authentication status of users during site navigation, so that they do not need to authenticate repeatedly.

Shopping Cart
Services or items added to the cart during a previous visit and not purchased through completing the order will be retained and displayed to the visitor to facilitate the continuation of the initiated purchase.

Interaction Analysis
For hostico.ro visitors, information regarding interactions with the website is generally and anonymously recorded for conducting analyses aimed at improving both the site's functionality and visitors' experience.
This cookie also enables authenticated users to directly correlate their actions and interactions with the site to their customer account.

Security
These are designed to ensure the correct authentication or authorization of users, as well as to detect and prevent suspicious or unauthorized activities.

VII. Delete / Block Cookies

By refusing the use of cookies when accessing the Website, you will specifically reject cookies with marketing purposes (e.g., those provided by Google Analytics and YouTube). The rest of the cookies play an essential role in ensuring the "proper functioning of the site."

Typically, search engines used to access web pages allow the automatic storage of cookies on the device from which these pages are run by default. These settings can be modified to block the automatic management of cookies by the web browser or to receive notifications each time cookies are sent to the browser/device. Detailed information about the possibilities and methods of managing cookies is available in the settings section of the browser used to access websites. It's important to note that restricting the use of cookies can impact certain functionalities of web pages, depending on the extent to which they use cookies for optimization.

If you do not agree with the use of cookies mentioned in Section VI, which presents functional purposes, we encourage you to leave the site and delete the placed cookies.

VIII. Why are cookies important to the Internet?

Cookies play an essential role in ensuring the efficient functioning of the Internet, contributing to creating a friendly and personalized browsing experience tailored to the preferences and interests of each user. It's important to mention that refusing or disabling cookies may lead to the inability to properly use certain websites. However, it's essential to underline that refusing or disabling cookies does not automatically imply the absence of online advertising; it simply means that advertising will no longer be personalized based on the preferences and interests indicated through browsing behavior.

Here are some significant examples of functionalities offered by cookies (which do not require user authentication through an account):

  • Providing content and services tailored to user preferences, such as news categories, weather information, sports, maps, public and governmental services, entertainment sites, and travel services.
  • Personalizing offers based on user interests, including retaining passwords and language preferences (e.g., displaying search results in a specific language).
  • Applying filters for child online content protection.
  • Limiting the frequency of displaying ads to prevent excessive exposure for a particular user on a site.
  • Delivering relevant advertising to the user.
  • Measuring the level of traffic on a website through analytics, including the type of content viewed and how users arrive on the site (via search engines, direct visits, referrals from other websites, etc.).

IX. Security and confidentiality issues

Cookies are NOT Viruses! They use text formats. They are not made up of pieces of code to be executed. Consequently, they can not duplicate or replicate on other computers or networks to run or replicate again. Lack of these functionalities can not be considered viruses. Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. They store information about preferences and user browsing history that can be used for Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this and consistently mark cookies to be deleted in anti-virus / anti-spyware removal / scanning procedures. In general, browsers have built in privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, shelf life, and automatic deletion after the user has visited a particular site. Because identity protection is very valuable, it is advisable to know the issues that may be caused by cookies. There is a constant exchange of information between the browser and the website through cookies, and if an attacker or unauthorized person interferes with this process, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted. This can happen if your internet connection is on an insecure network such as an unencrypted wireless network. Because of their flexibility, cookies are used by most sites, including some of the most popular ones (Youtube, Gmail, Facebook, etc.). Cookies are therefore inevitable and disabling them will result in malfunctions and even the failure to access certain sites. Some tips on using cookies:

Customize browser settings for cookies to reflect a comfortable level of cookie security.
If you do not mind cookies and you are the only person using the device, you can set long expiration dates to store your browsing history and personal data. If you share your computer access, you can consider setting the browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close your browser. This is a way to access sites that place cookies and to delete any information related to them when the browser is closed. Install and permanently update antivirus / antispyware applications. All modern browsers offer the ability to change cookie settings

X.Useful links

All About Cookies http://www.allaboutcookies.org/ Official Website of the European Union on Cookies http://ec.europa.eu/cookies/ Full Advertising Guide - https://www.youronlinechoices.com/ro/

For any additional questions about how cookies are used through this website, please contact us.

Last update: 24.08.2023