Another stealth attack type is browser cookie theft. It is said that browser cookies make the web run. Simply put, cookies preserve the action ‘state’ of the user as you surf through the internet. These little pieces of text are sent to our web browser from the websites we frequent making it easier to login, purchase items and generally pick up where we left off.

On the positive side, cookies make our web more personalized and easy to use. The bad side to this is that if a hacker steals your cookies that hacker can surf the web as you — intercepting your passwords and bank and credit card information with ease.

Cookie theft has existed for as long as web browser cookies have existed. But now, the software necessary to do it is widely available. In fact, here’s an article that walks you right through cookie stealing, including hijacking another person’s Facebook account! Scary, indeed.

Also, the overall number of cookies in use is growing every day. Since each cookie is a potential access point for the hacker that means hackers are gaining more and more potential avenues into your machine with each day.

So how does one protect oneself from this form of stealth hacking? Unfortunately there is only one 100% solution to this type of attack – don’t use cookies.