Totem

1. Cookie using policy

This policy refers to the cookies and web pages operated by TOTEM Communication, headquartered in 27 Popa Soare Street, Bucharest 2, 023981, Romania, hereinafter referred to as “TOTEM”.

2. What are the cookies?

A cookie is a small file made up of letters and numbers, which will be stored on a user’s computer, mobile terminal or other equipment the Internet is accessed from. The cookie is installed by means of a web server’s request made to a browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Chrome) and is completely “passive” (does not contain software, viruses or spyware and cannot access the information on the user’s hard driver).

 

3. What are cookies used for?

These files make possible the recognition of the user’s terminal and the presentation of the content in a relevant way, tailored to the user’s preferences. Cookies provide the users a pleasant browsing experience and support TOTEM’s efforts of offering comfortable services to the users: e.g.: online confidentiality preferences or relevant advertising. They are also used in the preparation of aggregated anonymous statistics that help us understand how a user benefits from our web pages, allowing us to improve their structure and content, excluding the user’s personal identification.

4. What kind of cookies do we use?

We use two types of cookies: per session and fixed. First type cookies are temporary files that remain in the user’s terminal until the ending of the session or until the closing of the application (web browser). Fixed files remain in the user’s terminal for a period of time specified in the cookie settings or until they are manually deleted by the user.

5. How are cookies used on our sites?

A visit to our websites may place cookies for the purposes of:

• Site performances cookies
• Visitors analysis cookies
• Cookies for geo-targeting
• Recording cookies
• Advertising cookies

• Cookies of advertising providers

6. Do cookies contain personal data?

Cookies, by themselves, do not require personal information in order to be used, and, in most cases, do not personally identify Internet users. Personal data collected by using cookies can only be collected to facilitate certain functionalities for the user. Such data is encrypted in a way that makes it is impossible for unauthorized persons to access it.

7. Cookies deletion

Generally, an application used to access web pages allows cookies to be saved on the terminal by default. These settings can be changed so that the automatic administration of cookies be blocked by the web browser or the user be informed whenever cookies are sent to the terminal. Detailed information about the possibilities and ways of managing cookies can be found in the settings area of the application (web browser). Limiting the cookie use may affect certain functionalities of the web page.

8. Why are cookies important to the Internet?

Cookies are the central point of the efficient functioning of the Internet, helping generate user-friendly navigation experiences, adapted to the preferences and interests of each user. Refusing or disabling cookies can make some sites impossible to use. Refusing or disabling cookies does not mean that you will no longer receive online advertising – only that it will no longer be able to take into account your preferences and interests, highlighted by your browsing behavior. Examples of important uses of cookies (which do not require user authentication through an account):

• Content and services tailored to user preferences – categories of products and services
• Offers tailored according to users’ interests – passwords keeping
• Keeping the child protection filters regarding Internet content (family mode options, safe search functions)
• Limiting the frequency of advertising broadcast – limiting the number of times an ad is displayed for a certain user on a site
• Providing user-more relevant advertising

Measurement, optimization and the analytics features – such as confirming of a certain level of traffic on a website, the kind of content that is viewed and the way a user reaches a website (e.g. by search engines, directly, from other websites, etc.).

Websites run these analyses of their use to improve the sites for users’ benefit.

9. Security and privacy issues

Cookies are NOT viruses! They use plain text formats. They are not made up of code pieces, so they cannot be executed, nor can they self-run. Consequently, they cannot be duplicated or replicated on other networks to run or replicate again. As they cannot perform these functions, they cannot be considered viruses. However, cookies can be used for negative purposes. As they store information about users’ preferences and browsing history, both on a particular site and on several other sites, cookies can be used as a form of Spyware.

Many anti-spyware products are aware of this fact and are constantly flagging cookies for deletion in anti-virus/anti-spyware removal/scanning procedures. Generally, browsers have privacy settings integrated, which provide different levels of cookie acceptance, the validity period and automatic deletion after the user visited a particular site.

Manage my cookies (this link also works on your smartphone)

10. Other security aspects related to cookies

As the identity protection is very valuable and represents the right of every Internet user, it is advisable to know what problems cookies may create. As by means of them the information between the browser and the website is constantly transmitted in both directions, if an attacker or unauthorized person intervenes during the data transmission, the information contained in the cookie can be intercepted.

Although very infrequently, this can happen if the browser connects to the server using an unencrypted network (e.g. an unsecured Wi-Fi network).

Other cookie-based attacks involve incorrect cookie settings on servers. If a website does not require the browser to use only encrypted channels, attackers can use this vulnerability to trick the browsers to send information through unsecured channels. The attackers then use the information to gain unauthorized access to certain sites. It is very important to be careful when choosing the most appropriate method for personal information protection.

11. Advices for a safe and responsible cookie-based navigation

Due to their flexibility and to the fact that the greatest part of the most visited sites, as well as the greatest sites, use cookies, the latter are almost unavoidable. Deactivating the cookies will deny user’s access to the widest spread and most utilized websites, among which YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo and others.

Here are some advices that can assure you that you are navigating without worry, but helped by cookies:

• Customize your browser’s cooking settings so that they reflect a level of cookie use security you feel comfortable with.
• If you are ok with cookies and you are the only person using the computer, you may set long expiration terms for storing the navigation history and the access personal data.
• If you share the access to the computer, you may consider setting the browser for erasing the individual navigation data each time you shut the browser. This is a variant of accessing the cookie-placing websites and of erasing any visiting information at the end of the browsing session.
• Constantly install and update anti-spyware applications.

Many of the spyware detection and prevention applications include website attack detection. Thus, they keep the browser from accessing websites that might tap the browser’s vulnerabilities or from downloading dangerous software. Make sure you have a constantly updated browser. Many of the cookie-based attacks are made by tapping the weaknesses of older browser versions.

Cookies are everywhere and cannot be avoided, if you wish to enjoy access to the best and greatest – local or international – sites on the Internet. With a clear understanding of their operating manner and of the benefits they bring, you can take the necessary security measures to be able to trustfully navigate on the Internet.

12. How can cookies be controlled

You can control and/or erase cookies as you like, and most browsers make it possible for you to:

• be announced each time you receive a cookie
• see what cookies you have and erase them individually
• block third party cookies
• block certain websites’ cookies
• block all cookies
• erase all cookies when shutting the browser
• set the browser to accept cookies from a certain site.

The deactivating or refusal to receive cookies can make some websites impossible or difficult to visit and use.

 

You can erase all the cookies that are already on your computer and you can configure most of the browsers to keep cookies from being placed. If you choose for erasing the cookies, you must consider that possible previously set preferences will be lost.

However, you must know that you will not be able to normally view some sections of our websites if you set your browser to reject cookies. For instance, if you are not registered as using cookies, you will not be able to leave comments.

As well, if you completely block cookies, numerous sites (including ours) will not properly function. Not because we do not wish them to, but because some functions of the websites (for instance, the pages you will have to log in to access the content, the pages for Internet transmissions) cannot correctly function without the use of cookies. For these reasons, we do not recommend you to completely block the cookies when you use our sites.

The refusal to accept cookies does not mean you will not receive/view online advertising anymore.

All modern browsers are offering the possibility of changing cookie settings. These settings are usually found in “Options” or in the “Preferences” menu of your browser.

To understand these settings, the following links might be useful, otherwise you can use the “Help” option of the browser for more details.

• Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
• Cookie settings in Firefox
• Cookie settings in Chrome
• Cookie settings in Safari

For third party-generated cookies, you can consult: http://www.youronlinechoices.com/.

13. What other cookie-using services do we use?

Our sites can use Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”), which helps us constantly analyse the way users utilize our site. For this purpose, Google Analytics use “cookies”, which are text files placed in your computer.

Google will use this information to evaluate the website’s utilization, to compile the reports on website’s activities for site operators and for the providing of other services related to the site activity and to Internet use.

The cookie-generated information regarding the way the website is used – Internet use diary standard information (including your IP address) and anonymous information regarding visitor’s behavior – are transmitted by Google and stored by the latter, including on servers in United States. Before being transmitted to Google, your address is anonymised.

According to their certification related to the “privacy shield”, Google declares that they observe the EU – USA framework on the privacy shield. Google may transfer the information collected by Google Analytics to a third party when the legislation demands it or when the respective third party processes the information on behalf of Google.

According to the using conditions of Google Analytics, Google will not associate the users’ IP to any other data owned by Google.

You can refuse the use of Google Analytics cookies by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

By using the sites that utilize this service, you agree on your data being processed by Google the way and for the purposes specified above.