| Internet Explorer |
| Security setting | Amazon.com | NYTimes.com | Windows Update | Yahoo |
| Low | No warnings provided | No warnings provided | No warnings provided | No warnings provided |
| Medium-low | No warnings provided | No warnings provided | No warnings provided | No warnings provided |
| Medium (recommended) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently); redirection warning (when info about you is sent to a different server on site); Focalink and DoubleClick cookies | No warnings provided | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently); logging on to My Yahoo or Yahoo Mail produces redirection warning (switching server on same site) |
| High (blocks cookies completely) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently) | An ActiveX control on this page is not safe--page fails to load | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently); logging on to My Yahoo or Yahoo Mail fails completely |
| High, modified to prompt for cookies | Prompts up to four times on some pages | Prompts up to four times per page visited; slow loading | An ActiveX control on this page is not safe--page fails to load | Cookie prompt; can't log on to My Yahoo unless you select Remember my ID & Password |
| Netscape Navigator |
| Security setting | Amazon.com | NYTimes.com | Windows Update | Yahoo |
| Accept only cookies that get sent back to the originating server | A little slow, but no apparent change in access | A little slow; only NYTimes.com cookies saved | Cannot load (no ActiveX support) | A little slow, but no apparent change in access |
| Disable Java and JavaScript | No apparent change in access | No apparent change in access | Cannot load (no ActiveX support) | No apparent change in access |
| Prompt for cookies | Prompts up to four times on some pages | Prompts up to three times per page visited | Cannot load (no ActiveX support) | Search and Web mail pages prompt once for cookies; My Yahoo prompts up to three times per page; refusing cookies results in failure to load pages |
| Disable cookies | Security-alert prompt | Security-alert prompt; slow, but each page works | Cannot load (no ActiveX support) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently); logging on to My Yahoo or Yahoo Mail fails completely |
| No Java or JavaScript, cookies, or style sheets | Security-alert prompt | Security-alert prompt; slow, but each page works | Cannot load (no ActiveX support) | Security-alert prompt (can be turned off permanently); logging on to My Yahoo or Yahoo Mail fails completely |
| Amazon.com | NYTimes.com | Windows Update | Yahoo |
| What the site does when you log on | Writes a cookie that each subsequent page refers to | Writes and reads cookies for itself and its advertising banner partners (Preferences.com, DoubleClick, and Focalink) | Opens page containing ActiveX controls; downloads page containing ActiveX program Critical Components Installer | Writes a cookie that each subsequent page refers to; adds log-on information to the cookie if you set My Yahoo to remember you |
