ANTenna Blog -- Internet/Web

Following my recent post on Flash Cookies, one of our readers provided some interesting information about dealing with this issue. Read on for an update and additional details.

A bMighty.com reader, IT consultant Angus Scott-Fleming, informed me that the latest version of a utility called CCleaner now supports Flash Cookie cleanup. You can get more information about CCleaner and download the latest release (version 2.19) at its developer's Web site.

While CCleaner isn't an open-source application, it is available free of charge to all users. (Those who offer voluntary donations of at least $20 do get early access to new releases.)

Like most CCleaner users, I can't speak highly enough about this product. It removes temporary files, browser cookies, log files, and many other space-hogging components, potentially saving users hundreds of MBs in otherwise wasted storage. Another great CCleaner feature is its Windows Registry cleaner function, which removes unused and old Registry entries that can have a cumulative impact on a system's performance.

CCleaner is easy to use, highly efficient, and extremely safe. (It does offer to back up Registry settings before changing them, which is always a good idea.) It is an especially useful utility for SOHO or small-business IT users who need to take advantage of every trick in the book to keep their systems running efficiently without taking too much time away from other, more productive, activities.

Angus also, by the way, developed his own Windows batch file that runs as a scheduled task and automatically removes any trace of Flash Cookies on a user's system. It is available free of charge on his company's Web site.

Although tools such as CCleaner and the Firefox BetterPrivacy extension now perform many of the same tasks, a batch file like this one is still a useful solution for many Windows users.

At the time that I wrote my original blog post on this topic, I wondered whether my criticism of Flash Cookies would resonate with readers. Judging from the feedback I have received, I shouldn't have worried.

Small businesses have enough online privacy and security threats to manage. Clearly, they don't need legitimate but misguided -- and badly implemented -- software like Flash Cookies making their lives even more difficult.