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a central store for all web data, such as
cookies and browsing history. In addition
to acting as a central data repository
for Microsoft browsers, it also collects
data from any application which uses
the WinInet subsystem for Internet
communications, such as Windows store
apps and Windows Explorer. of websites visited. It can also include
information such as usernames, passwords
and account numbers.
The database spawns at 32MB and as users
use the system, it grows with new data. Files
of multiple Gigabytes are not uncommon,
so the capacity to store all that data can
directly impact user experience, with
problems such as prolonged log on times,
while also utilising a growing amount of IT
infrastructure resource and associated costs. This makes it possible for hackers to steal or
copy these authentication cookies and user
logins, enabling them to gain access to sites
such as the CRM or any other cloud-based
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application, as
a verified user without being prompted to
provide any credentials.
Where data grows, security
threats follow
But the problem doesn't stop there as the
data collection goes far beyond a record
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INTELLIGENTCIO
Furthermore, many websites prompt users
to remember login credentials which, when
opted for, store an authentication cookie on
the machine.
own proprietary code and databases that
perform many of the same actions. And as
websites and web applications become more
complicated, compatibility issues also start
to occur, forcing businesses to install multiple
browsers for their users, exacerbating the
data bloat and performance problem further.
The final complication to these issues is that
much of this web data, along with other
personal settings such as email signatures
etc, is usually stored in user profiles.
This in turn creates further data bloat and
performance issues, particularly when users
login to a roaming or virtual environment.
You can't walk out Addressing the web data challenge
And it isn't just the Microsoft browsers
that create these issues. While browsers
such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox
do not use WinInet, they do utilise their So, with the challenges associated with
web data bloat unlikely to go anywhere
soon, what can organisations do to
address the problem? Let's take a look
www.intelligentcio.com