Cookie Statement
When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this sometimes involves placing small amounts of information on your device, for example, computer or mobile phone. These include small text files known as cookies. They cannot be used to identify you personally, cannot carry viruses, or install malware.
A cookie is a piece of data sent to your device from a website. This means the website can recognise your device if you return to the same website. Cookies do not contain any personal information about you and cannot be used to identify an individual user. A cookie often includes a unique identifier, which is an anonymous number (randomly generated) and is stored on your device. Some expire at the end of your website session; others remain on your computer for longer.
These pieces of information are used to improve services for you through, for example:
- enabling a service to recognise your device so you don't have to give the same information several times during one task, e.g. filling out a web form or a web survey
- recognising that you may already have given a username and password so you don't need to do it for every web page
- measuring how many people are using services, so they can be made easier to use and there's enough capacity to ensure they are fast
- analysing anonymised data to help us understand how people interact with the different aspects of our online services so we can make them better
You can manage these small files and learn more about them from this article, Internet Browser cookies- what they are and how to manage them.
For more information about cookies or if you would like to learn how to remove cookies set on your device, visit: http://www.aboutcookies.org
These are cookies set by our website.
Purpose of cookies:
[1] Session management . These are "session based” cookies used to ensure smooth running of user sessions, and to maintain a connection to the server.
[2] Preferences management . These remember your settings and website preferences from one session to the next. They make it easier to log in again if you choose ‘Remember me’, and ensure that you don’t keep getting shown the same notifications over and over again.
[3] Site performance improvement. Some cookies measure how you use the site so we can update and improve it. Google Analytics cookies may be used to evaluate site performance (these metrics are not tied to an individual).
|
Name |
Type |
Typical content |
Description/Purpose |
Expiry |
|
ASP_sessionID |
First party |
Random number (temporary) |
Required by the website’s content management system in order to operate.
|
Expires immediately when the current session ends (i.e. when the browser is closed). |
|
Profile ID |
First party |
String |
Identifies a returning user, to aid log in |
1 year |
|
Profile User |
First party |
String |
Identifies a returning user, to aid log in |
1 year |
|
Profile P |
First party |
String |
Identifies device type (for a returning user), to customise layouts, etc. |
1 year |
|
Profile R |
First party |
Number |
Set a numeric flag is ‘Remember me’ has been selected. |
1 year |
|
Profile Who |
First party |
Text |
Identifies a returning user to improve personalisation. |
1 year |
|
Profile L |
First party |
Number |
Remembers your access profile, to aid logging in when returning. |
1 year |
|
Profile Visitdate |
First party |
Date |
Remembers the date of your last visit, to aid with the display of announcements, etc. |
1 year |
|
Profile Visit |
First party |
Number |
Remembers how many sessions you have run, to help with site customisation. |
1 year |
|
Profile Crse |
First party |
String |
Remembers which course/programme you last used, to speed up loading. |
1 year |
|
Profile Grp |
First party |
String |
Remembers which gateway you last used, to speed up loading. |
1 year |
|
Profile [Gateway ID string] |
First party |
String |
Remembers which route you took to a gateway, to customise or personalise styling on return visits. |
1 year |
|
Profile V |
First party |
Encrypted
|
Remembers authentication information for returning users. |
1 year |
|
cookieCheck |
First party
|
Null |
Remembers that a cookie notification has been displayed. |
1 year |
|
_utma + random number [Google analytics set]
|
Third party |
String |
Google Analytics web metrics.
|
6 months – 2 years |
|
_utmz + random number [Google analytics set]
|
Third party |
String |
Google Analytics web metrics.
|
|
Cookies on the CAP/ASA website
| Name | Typical content | Description | Expires |
| ASP.NET_SessionID | Randomly generated number | Exempt from changes to the privacy regulations. Required by the Website’s content management tool in order to operate. Without this the website would not function | When user exits browser |
| ASPXAUTH | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Written when a user logs into the site and selects remember me. Making it easier for the user to return to the site without having to log in again. | 1 hour |
| copyadvice-xfs | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Remembers the font size selection for the session. | When user exits browser |
| copyadvice-css | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Remembers the color scheme selection for the session. | When user exits browser |
| cScapeCookiesAccept | the value 'true' | Minimally intrusive Remembers the users selection to remove the cookie used notification banner. | 6 months |
We use suppliers who may also set cookies on our website on their behalf.
Purpose: Web Analytics/metrics. This category comprises cookies used to evaluate site performance in terms of number of visits, unique visitors, drop-off rate for transactions etc. We measure numbers and volumes of visitors to different parts of our site and this helps us ensure the service is fast and available when you want it. It also helps us ensure that different pages on our site are useful and easy to find.
Benefit: So service is available when you want it and fast.
Google analytics cookie information: http://code.google.com/apis/analytics/docs/concepts/gaConceptsCookies.html
| Name | Typical content | Description | Expires |
| _utma | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Google Analytics Web metrics | 2 years |
| _utmb | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Google Analytics Web metrics | When user exits browser |
| _utmc | Randomly generated number | Minimally intrusive Google Analytics Web metrics | When user exits browser |
| _utmz | Randomly generated number + info on how the site was reached (e.g. directly or via a link, organic search or paid search) | Minimally intrusive Google Analytics Web metrics | 6 months |
Purpose: Session management. Includes cookies used in completing a task, to enable you to complete the task without re-entering information already given (e.g. so the website can ‘remember’ that you’ve already filled in fields in a payment form).
Benefit: Used to complete secure ecommerce transactions through the PayPal online payment gateway service. https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/home
Purpose: Session management. Includes cookies used in completing a task, to enable you to complete the task without re-entering information already given (e.g. so the website can ‘remember’ that you’ve already filled in fields in a payment form).
Benefit: Used to complete secure ecommerce transactions through the Romancart shopping cart system.