What are cookies?
For almost any website to work properly, it needs to collect certain basic information on its users. To do this, a site will create files known as ‘cookies’ – which are small text files – on its users’ computers. These cookies are designed to allow the website to recognise its users on subsequent visits, or to authorise other designated websites to recognise these users for a particular purpose.
Cookies do a lot of different jobs which make your experience of the Internet much smoother and more interactive. For instance, they are used to remember your preferences on sites you visit often, to provide you with relevant content and to help you navigate between pages more efficiently. They also help ensure that the advertisements that you see online are more relevant to you and your interests.
What types of cookie are there?
Generally, there are four types of cookie: strictly necessary cookies, performance cookies, functionality cookies and targeting or advertising cookies.
- Strictly necessary cookies - These cookies are necessary for our website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personal data.
- Performance cookies - These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our website. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to monitor its performance.
- Functional cookies - These cookies enable our website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then some or all of these services may not function properly. For example, cookies will save information about your region and can be used to provide more relevant content.
- Targeting cookies - These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not directly store personal data but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Additionally, these cookies break down into two further sub-types.
- Persistent cookies remain on a user’s device for a set period of time specified in the cookie. They are activated each time that the user visits the website that created that particular cookie.
- Session cookies are temporary. They allow website operators to link the actions of a user during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser window and finishes when they close the browser window. Once you close the browser, all session cookies are deleted.
Managing Cookies
For information on how to manage cookies in your browser, please check with your provider.
Privacy Statement
For more information about how Mimecast uses cookies on our site and protects your personal information, please visit our Privacy Statement.
Questions?
Please submit any questions, concerns or comments you have about this Cookie Notice or any requests concerning your Personal Data to our Data Protection Officer:
By email to: dpo@mimecast.com
Or writing to us at:
Mimecast North America, Inc.
Attn: Data Protection Officer
191 Spring Street
Lexington, MA 02421 USA
+1 (617) 393-7050
Updated 5 November 2020