Cookie policy

The information presented below is intended to inform the user of more details about the placement, use and administration of “cookies” used by the website of the “Gheorghe Vernescu” Rimnicu Sarat Secondary School. There are also some useful links related to this theme.

The website www.gamesofinclusion.ro uses its own and third-party cookies to provide visitors with a much better browsing experience.

1. What is a “cookie”?

An “Internet Cookie” (term also known as “browser cookie” or “HTTP cookie” or simply “cookie”) is a small file, consisting of letters and numbers, which will be stored on your computer, mobile terminal or other equipment of a user from which the Internet is accessed.

A cookie consists of 2 parts: the name and the content or value of the cookie. Furthermore, the lifetime of a cookie is determined; technically, only the web server that sent the cookie can access it again when a user returns to the website associated with that web server.

The cookie is installed by the request issued by a web server to a browser (eg: Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (does not contain software, viruses or spyware and cannot access information on the user’s hard drive) .

Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users.

2. What are the advantages of cookies?

A cookie contains information that connects a web browser (the user) and a specific web server (the website). If a browser accesses that web server again, it can read the information already stored and react accordingly. Cookies play an important role in facilitating the access and delivery of the multiple services that the user enjoys on the Internet, such as:

• Keeping the options for various products (sizes, other details, etc.) in the shopping cart (and memorizing these options) – thus generating the flexibility of the “shopping cart” (accessing old preferences by accessing the “forward” and “back” button);

• Allow multimedia or other applications from other sites to be included in a particular site to create a more valuable, useful and enjoyable browsing experience;

• Cookies provide site owners with valuable information on how their sites are used by users, so that they can make them even more effective and accessible to users;

3. What type of information is stored and accessed through cookies?

The cookie stores important information that improves the Internet browsing experience (eg: keeping a user logged in to the webmail account; keeping the products in the shopping cart).

4. Why are cookies important to the Internet?

Cookies are central to the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping to generate a user-friendly browsing experience tailored to each user’s preferences and interests. Rejecting or disabling cookies may make some sites unusable.

Rejecting or deactivating cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – only that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests, highlighted by your browsing behavior.

5. What cookies do we use?

We use two types of cookies: per session and persistent. The latter are temporary files that remain in the user’s terminal until the session ends or the application (web browser) is closed. Fixed files remain on the user’s terminal for a period in the cookie parameters or until they are manually deleted by the user.

6. How are cookies used by this site?

• Website performance cookies;
• Visitor analysis cookies;
• Cookies for geotargetting;
• Registration cookies;
• Cookies for advertising;
• Advertising provider cookies.

Examples:

– volume settings for the video player;
– the video streaming speed with which the browser is compatible.

7. Do cookies contain personal data?

Cookies themselves do not require personal information to be used and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users. Personal data collected through the use of cookies may only be collected to facilitate certain functionalities for the user. Such data is encrypted in a way that makes it impossible for unauthorized persons to access it.

8. Tips for safe and responsible browsing, based on cookies.

Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided if you want to enjoy access to the best and biggest sites on the Internet – local or international. Due to their flexibility and the fact that most of the most visited and largest sites use cookies, they are almost unavoidable. Disabling cookies will not allow the user access to the most widespread and used sites including Youtube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.

Here are some tips that can ensure you surf without worries but with the help of cookies:

Customize your browser cookie settings to reflect a comfortable level of cookie security for you.

– If you share computer access, you may consider setting your browser to delete individual browsing data each time you close the browser. This is an option to access sites that place cookies and delete any visit information when you close the browsing session.
– If you don’t mind cookies and you are the only person using the computer, you can set long expiration periods for storing your browsing history and personal access data.
– Install and constantly update your antispyware applications. Many spyware detection and prevention applications include detection of site attacks. Thus, it prevents the browser from accessing websites that could exploit browser vulnerabilities or download dangerous software.
– Make sure your browser is always up to date. Many of the cookie-based attacks are carried out by exploiting the weak points of old versions of browsers.
– It is possible to set the browser so that these cookies are no longer accepted or you can set the browser to accept cookies from a specific site. But, for example, if you are not registered using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.
– All modern browsers offer the possibility to change cookie settings. These settings are usually found in the “options” or “preferences” menu of your browser.

9. Security and Privacy Issues

Cookies are not viruses. They are not made up of pieces of code so they cannot be executed or auto-run. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated to other networks to run or replicate again. Since they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses.

In general, browsers have integrated privacy settings that provide different levels of cookie acceptance, validity period and automatic deletion after the user has visited a certain site.

Cookies can still be used for negative purposes. Because they store information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and across multiple sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware. Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and constantly mark cookies for deletion during anti-virus/anti-spyware deletion/scanning procedures.

Other security aspects related to cookies:

Since the protection of identity is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what possible problems cookies can create. Because through them information is constantly transmitted in both directions between the browser and the website, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes during data transmission, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted.

Although very rare, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (eg an unsecured WiFi network).

Other cookie-based attacks involve missetting cookies on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick browsers into sending information through unsecured channels. Attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain websites. It is very important to be careful in choosing the most appropriate method of protecting personal information.