A Note About Cookies

(Just in it for the fun? Scroll down to "Some cookie fun" for our team's holiday cookie recommendations.)

Remember the tale of Hansel and Gretel? Children lost in the woods so they leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way out. Only to have the forest creatures gobble up all the crumbs and the children lose their way. There’s also a witch and an oven and trickery, but we can skip that part.

Navigating the web is not dissimilar to the Hansel and Gretel story. Each time you open a browser, you leave behind a trail. But rather than dropping breadcrumbs, your internet trail involves cookies. Cookies are small bits of data designed to make the web “convenient,” but can also be used to track behavior, build detailed user profiles, and influence what we see online. While they help remember logins and preferences, they can just as easily be used to monitor browsing habits across sites, often without clear consent or understanding.

One Bad Cookie

One of the most serious cookie-related threats is session hijacking. This occurs when a threat actor steals a user’s session cookie and uses it to impersonate that user on a website, often without needing a username or password.

It’s a slick operation. When you log into a website (email, banking, social media), the server usually creates a session cookie. This cookie acts like a temporary ID card, telling the site, “This user is already authenticated.”

If an attacker gains access to that cookie, they can replay it in their own browser and effectively become you, as that website trusts the cookie. The most common ways this exploit is carried out include:

• Unsecured Wi-Fi networks (ex. coffee shops or airports)
• Malicious browser extensions that read page data
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities on websites (http without the “s” is bad news!)
• Phishing pages that run hidden scripts
• Malware or spyware on a user’s device

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How to Protect the Cookies

We want to keep this light, so here’s a very quick list of things you can do to improve your browsing habits:

• Ensure sites you visit have HTTPS
• Limiting cookie lifespan
• Binding sessions to device or IP patterns
• Logging out of accounts on shared devices
• Avoiding unknown browser extensions
• Be cautious of unknown (and known!) links
• Be cautious and use a VPN on public Wi-Fi
• Call us—we can help!

Some Cookie Fun (Recipes)

We made it through the doom and gloom and we’d like to keep it merry and bright. Our team compiled a list of our favorite holiday cookie recipes and are sharing them with you! Hope they inspire!

Oatmeal with no fluff

Our owner, Joshua, says that Oatmeal cookies are supreme. But you better not be adding any nuts, dried fruit or chocolate. The original, sans anything, can be found on the Quaker Oats site.

Oatmeal with fluff: Dangerously Addictive Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter (room temp)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg (large)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries (roughly chopped)

1. In a large bowl or mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until well combined. Added egg and vanilla extract, mix until combined
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt
3. Slowly add the dry ingredients and continue mixing until combined
4. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) and prep a baking shit with parchment paper
5. Once dough is chilled, use a 1.5 - 2 tbsp cookie scoop and scoop the cookie dough onto parchment paper. Flatten the cookie slightly once on the sheet. The cookies will spread while baking, so be sure to leave room in between.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown and top is set.

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Newcomer: Mint Chip Cookies

Our Sr. Cybersecurity Engineer is jonesing for the NYT Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from this year’s cookie week. You can find that recipe here.

Christmas Classic: Snickerdoodles

Marketing Director Owen wanted to share one of his grandma’s recipes, but was sworn to secrecy. So his second favorite appears here.

Cookie dough

• 2-3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Sugar mix

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Make the sugar mix in a gallon ziplock or Tupperware; the amount of sugar and cinnamon are up to your discretion, whether you like a more or less cinnamon-y cookie.
2. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together, shortening, butter, sugar, until light in color. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl and mixing well after each addition.
3. In another bowl combine remaining dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in multiple additions, beating after each addition until smooth.
4. Roll into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls. Roll in cinnamon-sugar mix. Doing this in a gallon Ziploc or Tupperware works well.
5. Place onto a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Even if they don't get browned, DO NOT OVERBAKE!

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Chocolate Chip Battle Royale

Technician Noah swears by his sister's Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie. Cybersecurity Analyst Liam says that the tried and true Nestle Toll House version reigns supreme. Meanwhile, while he knows the Nestle recipe by heart, Owen recommends this wonderful little gem (and find the baking chunks--they're worth it!).

Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup salted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1. In mixing bowl, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Set aside
2. Cream together butter and sugars until combined
3. Beat in eggs and vanilla until light (roughly 1 min)
4. Mix in dry ingredients until combined
5. Add chocolate chips and mix
6. Roll dough into balls on cookie sheet
7. Refrigerate dough balls for at least 1 hr
8. Heat oven to 375
9. Bake for 8-10 mins. Take them out when just barely start turning brown

Stay safe and happy baking!