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Thread: How-To Protect Against PIE (Persistent Identification Elements)

  1. #1
    Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Posts
    968

    Exclamation How-To Protect Against PIE (Persistent Identification Elements)

    First off, No, I'n not going to talk about Pootang...

    Now, those who know me know how much I hate spyware. I keep my computer as sqweeky clean of infections. I also try to educate everyone on the means to keep their computers clean as well.

    Just recently, I read an article in PC Mag about items called PIE (Persistent Identification Element) which can be worse that those tracking cookies from websites.

    Here's my How-To article:

    Definition
    a cookie replacement service it calls PIE (persistent identification element). PIEs, which cannot be easily removed, can restore deleted cookies and track your online behavior. And these elements can hold a lot more information than a cookie can.-www.pcmag.com

    Tyger's Def:
    PIEs are like cookies, where they get downloaded on your computer like cookies do, but they use the Flash player to store your information. With cookies, you just have to clear your cookies and it's done with. With PIE, you can delete it off your hardrive but it apparently isn't fully gone. Since PIEs are still relatively new, I don't have that much more experience with it.

    How it Works
    PIEs rely on a feature in Macromedia's Flash MX called local shared objects—cookielike files for storing data on client machines. When you visit a PIE-enabled Web site, your browser is tagged with a Flash object that contains a unique identification similar to the text found in a cookie. In this way, the PIE acts as a cookie backup. It can also be used to restore the original cookie when you revisit a site, even if you have deleted the cookie. Macromedia estimates that Flash Player is deployed on 98 percent of Internet-ready computers, so this is something that potentially affects us all

    What to do to Protect Against it
    Macromedia/Adobe is helping with the situation by allowing users to disable the functionality of allowing third party items from downloading. Now this isn't something flatout explained by Macromedia/Adobe because it is a functionality some sites use for legitimate use.

    So how do you go abouts turning off the function?





    That will ensure that no PIE will get into your computer.

    Note: However, for more control, you can disable storage of shared objects at all. That is located on the Global Storage Panel. Just move the slider to the end to "none". Just keep in mind that some sites will require this and may not function properly. (It will prompt you if you want to save it, so it's not that bad)

    Source:


    Online Petition Against PIE
    http://www.petitiononline.com/behma/petition.html

  2. #2
    Banned
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Posts
    968

    Exclamation How-To Protect Against PIE (Persistent Identification Elements)

    First off, No, I'n not going to talk about Pootang...

    Now, those who know me know how much I hate spyware. I keep my computer as sqweeky clean of infections. I also try to educate everyone on the means to keep their computers clean as well.

    Just recently, I read an article in PC Mag about items called PIE (Persistent Identification Element) which can be worse that those tracking cookies from websites.

    Here's my How-To article:

    Definition
    a cookie replacement service it calls PIE (persistent identification element). PIEs, which cannot be easily removed, can restore deleted cookies and track your online behavior. And these elements can hold a lot more information than a cookie can.-www.pcmag.com

    Tyger's Def:
    PIEs are like cookies, where they get downloaded on your computer like cookies do, but they use the Flash player to store your information. With cookies, you just have to clear your cookies and it's done with. With PIE, you can delete it off your hardrive but it apparently isn't fully gone. Since PIEs are still relatively new, I don't have that much more experience with it.

    How it Works
    PIEs rely on a feature in Macromedia's Flash MX called local shared objects—cookielike files for storing data on client machines. When you visit a PIE-enabled Web site, your browser is tagged with a Flash object that contains a unique identification similar to the text found in a cookie. In this way, the PIE acts as a cookie backup. It can also be used to restore the original cookie when you revisit a site, even if you have deleted the cookie. Macromedia estimates that Flash Player is deployed on 98 percent of Internet-ready computers, so this is something that potentially affects us all

    What to do to Protect Against it
    Macromedia/Adobe is helping with the situation by allowing users to disable the functionality of allowing third party items from downloading. Now this isn't something flatout explained by Macromedia/Adobe because it is a functionality some sites use for legitimate use.

    So how do you go abouts turning off the function?





    That will ensure that no PIE will get into your computer.

    Note: However, for more control, you can disable storage of shared objects at all. That is located on the Global Storage Panel. Just move the slider to the end to "none". Just keep in mind that some sites will require this and may not function properly. (It will prompt you if you want to save it, so it's not that bad)

    Source:


    Online Petition Against PIE
    http://www.petitiononline.com/behma/petition.html

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