Manual cookie audit
Cookies are valuable tools, but they are often misunderstood. Modern websites rely on cookies to provide users with essential services.
If your company uses cookies to improve user experience, you may realize that it is necessary to conduct cookie audits to track how cookies are used. But what does that mean, and why is it important to conduct a cookie audit?
This guide will explain why auditing is necessary and how to properly perform a manual cookie audit.
Here's how to conduct a manual cookie audit and make sure you don't miss any important information.
Step 1: Cookie detection
The initial step of a cookie audit is to find out exactly what cookies are being used by a website. This can be done by using your browser's built-in software tools to check for cookies on a site-by-site basis. To be sure that all possible cookies have been discovered, it is best to perform this exercise on multiple pages of the site.
It's also a good idea to test this on different devices and browsers in "incognito" mode, while disabling cookie blockers. Otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally missing some cookies, resulting in an incomplete audit.
Here's how to identify cookies in Google Chrome and Firefox browsers:
Checking cookies in Chrome browser
step 1
If you are using a Windows computer, it is necessary to right-click on your site window. If you are using an Apple system, you can use a double-click with your finger or Control+click.
step 2
You will see a menu of options when you click the right mouse button. The last item on the list will be "Inspect." When selected, the Chrome developer console will open in another area of the window.
step 3
Several different tabs will be available on the top panel of the programmer. Select the tab named "Application." If you do not see this tab, you can expand the list by clicking on the ">>" option.
step 4
When you press the "Application" button on the left, a side bar appears. Select "Cookies" from the "Memory" section.
step 5
When you click on "Cookies" you will view several columns with information that will display if the cookies on your site are safe or if there are any active third-party cookies. Under "Session" you will be able to see where these cookies are stored and whether they are session or persistent cookies.
Checking cookies in Firefox browser
step 1
To enter the settings on a Windows computer, you must right-click on the browser window. On Apple's operating system, you can use a double-click with your finger or use Control+mouse press.
step 2
When you press the right mouse button, a list of different options appears. Select "Check."
step 3
A new part of the screen will appear on the browser. Select "Saved data" from the toolbar. When you click "Saved data," a list of different options will be displayed. Select "Cookies" from this menu.
step 4
When you click on "Cookies," you will be able to see several columns containing information about the security of your site's cookies and active third-party cookies. Under "Path" you can see where these cookies are stored. To see which are session cookies or persistent cookies, go to the "Expires/Maximum Age" tab.
Step 2: Investigate the cookies
Once you have located all the cookies used by the site, you need to analyze them. This is the process of analyzing the information stored in each cookie and how the site reads the data.
In the browser's development tool, click on each cookie to see the details collected. Look for information such as the cookie's source, path, purpose and duration.
Investigating cookies can take a lot of time, so be sure to allow enough time to do it correctly.
Step 3: Classify cookies
After analyzing cookies, group them according to how they are used.
Cookie classification includes:
Essential cookies, so-called "proprietary" cookies, which track through which account a user accesses your website.
Performance and functionality cookies, which manage non-essential but beneficial tasks such as video playback.
Analytics and personalization cookies that monitor and store information about you to provide a personalized experience.
Advertising cookies that allow third-party marketing specialists to track user data and display personalized ads.
Social network cookies, which link the site to social networks.
It is important to group cookies accurately. Failure to classify cookies correctly could expose you to the possibility of a lawsuit, as visitors won't be able to choose or opt out of the types of cookies they want to avoid.
Step 4: Search for compliance issues
Examine your cookies and classify them based on how they are used. Now is the time to further analyze how they are used to make sure you are fully compliant with the CCPA, GDPR and EU cookie laws.
For example, if cookies are not encrypted, they pose a threat to users' privacy, even if they do exactly what you say. This is because hackers can use unencrypted cookies to steal information from visitors. You can solve this problem by adding encryption to your cookies.
Other compliance issues to watch out for:
Cookies that have no legitimate business purpose
Cookies that store information for no reason
Cookies related to the healthcare and financial industries that do not comply with specific industry regulations.
Step 5: Create a cookie policy and consent solution
After understanding how cookies work and eliminating all compliance issues, it's time to create cookie regulations.
There are two main ways to create cookie regulations. You can use a managed solution that provides a consent manager for cookies, or you can write your own cookie regulations and create notifications for users.
Step 6: Perform regular reviews
The final step is to repeat the entire auditing process periodically.
As the website evolves, the development team will likely adjust the cookies offered and how they are used. Privacy regulations will also evolve, even if your website does not. Therefore, even if your site is currently compliant, that doesn't mean it will continue to be so in future quarters.
By performing regular reviews, you can stop worrying about cookie usage. Instead, you'll be able to monitor the cookies you're using, update your policies, and address compliance issues immediately. Schedule several reviews per year to stay on top of the process.
Why conduct cookie audits?
Online privacy and tracking regulations require an understanding of how a website uses cookies. A cookie audit involves a thorough review of all cookies used by a site and an examination of their purposes and types.
Conducting cookie audits is important for a company to meet the requirements of the RODO and other regulations.
Cookie audits also provide useful information on improving cookie usage. For example, you can find out what cookies you use, improve the cookies you save, and develop a better cookie policy for your site.
Cookie audits are a prerequisite for compliance with current privacy regulations. Performing effective audits of cookies contributes to monitoring their use and preventing accidental violations.
