Secure Business Infrastructure website, Network Security Auditing Solutions, by Secure Business Infrastructure website. [Online]
Retrieved 05 February 2010
Web cache stores representation (it has been discussed in previous post). There are two types of web caches which are browser caches and proxy caches, they work differently in the client-server computers. So now, let's discussion how browser caches can threaten your online privacy?
First, browser caches is functioned to keep images, HTML pages, and files in your browsers temporary. Internet users always can check what types of file are being cached inside their web browsers by typing about:cache in the address text box.
Next, since browser caches store those representations temporary, you can always refresh the current page, back to previous page easily and faster without requesting response from the server again. Actually browser caches can be harmful only if you key in your private data and your computer contains viruses and spyware. It is all because when you key in your private data, browser cache would store every data you have enter. If other users, viruses, and spyware hack into your browsers and duplicate the cache files then, your private data would be dangerous. If you check your cache files inside your web browsers, you might think those cache files are some text that you could not understand but there are some specify applications that could read the content of the cache files. Therefore, hackers can read your private data by using that particular application.
Moreover, if you did not clear your web cache frequently, the chances to expose your data would be higher especially what are the web pages you have visited. Browser caches record the content which is the representation and also each representation's URL link and the pages' URL inside your browsers. When hackers intrude your computers and copy your browser cache, they might know what web sites you have visited, what images you have seen, what text you have inserted and many more. Maybe you would not care browser cache could threaten you or not but it can be a online privacy issues because others can know what sites you are visiting now and ease other people to track your Internet usage. You have no online privacy as you could be spied by the hackers if they steal your browser cache files. Hackers look through all your browser cache files and they know what you have visited even those censored web sites or web pages. Thus, be careful when you surf the net, browser cache files in your browsers could lead you zero online privacy.
Reference:
Caching Tutorial for Web Authors and Webmasters, Mnot.net [Online]
Retrieved on 6th January 2010
