Here’s every cookie and browser-storage entry the Site uses, what each one does, how long it lasts, and how you can control it. It sits alongside our main Privacy Policy. We try to use as few cookies as possible, and to label every one of them clearly.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small text file a website stores in your browser. Sites use them to remember your session, hold onto your preferences, or track behaviour across pages. Related technologies (localStorage, sessionStorage, IndexedDB) work much the same way, but they hold more data and aren’t automatically sent back to the server. We list both kinds below.
Cookies set by this Site
The Site itself sets very few cookies. Here’s the full list of the first-party ones currently active:
| Name | Purpose | Duration | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
wordpress_test_cookie | Detect whether your browser accepts cookies (set briefly during login or comment submission) | Session | Essential |
comment_author_* | Pre-fill your name and email when you leave additional comments (only set if you comment and tick the relevant box) | 1 year | Functional |
wp-settings-* | Save preferences for logged-in administrators only (theme, dashboard layout). Not set for regular visitors. | 1 year | Functional |
Browser localStorage entries
Our online tools use localStorage to keep their state across sessions. None of it is sent to the server; it stays in your browser, and clearing your browser data wipes it. Here’s the list:
| Key | Tool | What it stores |
|---|---|---|
securityWatch.list | SecurityWatch | List of sites you monitor |
securityWatch.snapshots | SecurityWatch | Snapshot history of probes |
cyberAuditSuite.history | Cyber Audit Suite | Last 30 scans |
netsecai.apiKey | NetSecAI | Optional API key (Anthropic / OpenAI / Gemini) that you provide for AI mode |
netsecai.provider | NetSecAI | Last-used AI provider |
localStorage entries are never transmitted to our servers. The API key in NetSecAI goes directly from your browser to the AI provider you selected, using the URL of their official API. We have no proxy.Cookies set by third-party services
| Source | Cookies | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare (if active) | __cf_bm, cf_clearance | Bot management and challenge tokens; security-essential, no behavioural tracking |
| Gravatar (when comments display avatars) | None set client-side; the avatar request shares your IP with Automattic | Avatar rendering |
At the time this Cookie Policy was written, the Site does not display third-party advertising and does not include any analytics or tracking pixel. If we add advertising later (Google AdSense or similar), we will list the cookies here, add a consent banner for visitors in the EU/UK, and announce the change on the homepage for at least 14 days before activation.
How to control cookies
Browser controls
Every modern browser lets you view, block or delete cookies from its settings panel. The path is usually something like:
- Chrome / Edge: Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
- Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data.
- Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data.
You can block all cookies, block only third-party cookies, or block them for specific sites. Block cookies entirely and our comments form may misbehave (the test cookie won’t persist), but the tools aren’t affected, since they work without cookies.
Clearing localStorage
That same browser settings panel has a “Site data” or “Clear browsing data” option that removes localStorage entries. If you’d rather clear only this Site’s data, open the developer console (F12), go to Application > Storage > Local Storage, find the peoplearegeek.com entry, and delete the keys you want.
Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control
We honour the Global Privacy Control signal. If your browser sends GPC, we treat it as a request to disable any future tracking cookies. The legacy Do Not Track signal is respected for the same purpose. Right now this changes nothing, because we don’t track, but we keep the signal wired up for the future.
Changes to this Cookie Policy
Any change to the list of cookies or localStorage entries we use will be reflected in the tables above with a new “Last updated” date. Material changes (new tracking cookies, new third-party services) will be announced on the homepage before they take effect.
Questions
If you have a question about a specific cookie or storage entry, write to contact@peoplearegeek.com with “Cookies” in the subject line.
