Do you know what Gator is?
Gator is a tracking cookie that can collect information on your web browsing habits to improve access to certain websites. Although this tracking is very old, it wouldn’t be surprising if some sites still used it to collect certain information. This cookie is not a malicious computer security threat, but it is not a good idea to keep it on your computer. If you scroll down to the bottom of this description, you will find the instructions that will help you get rid of Gator and other undesirable tracking cookies. While you are at it, you should also consider scanning your system with a licensed security tool.
Now, why would you ever have Gator on your browser? What if you never planned to add it to your system? The thing is that users seldom add cookies to their browsers consciously. Usually, it takes just one stray click on some random link, and the moment you land on a website that employs cookies, they might be added to your browser automatically. Of course, these days, most of the websites inform you that they use to cookies to collect personally non-identifiable information, but there are still a lot of pages that do not tell you that, and thus, the likes of Gator slither into your browser.
Also, the fact that Gator is on your browser could mean that you have many other unwanted applications or plug-ins, too. This happens because such pieces of software often travel together. For example, if you download freeware from file-sharing websites, this freeware installer might carry several programs and features you do not even need. Therefore, to avoid undesirable applications, you have to be attentive whenever you are about to install new apps or interact with unfamiliar content. Once again, cookies like Gator are not malicious, but they could be exploited by malevolent third parties.
In fact, Gator used to be promoted as “your smart online companion that fills out forms and remembers passwords.” The promotional tagline says that “Gator comes with OfferCompanion (another cookie detection) application, the premier application for saving money on the web.” Therefore, if you had OfferCompanion installed on your PC, it is very likely that Gator was added to your browser too, and this happened with your permission! It is very often that we are not aware of all the permissions we give to third-party applications, and later on we might be up for an ugly surprise.
What happens when Gator is on your browser? Well, this cookie certainly cannot collect personally identifiable information, so it will track your web browsing habits, perhaps the keywords you use in your web searches, and the pages you visit the most frequently. As said in the promotional tagline, it might also auto-fill various forms for you, making your web browsing a lot faster and more efficient. And this should be good, right? It would save you time, and all.
Technically, it should be okay, but we can never be sure just who Gator shares the collected information with. It is very likely that the cookie might share the collected data with unreliable third parties for marketing purposes. Therefore, although it wouldn’t be Gator’s fault, through this cookie, you might find yourself exposed to a number of dangerous and suspicious websites. In the worst-case scenario, it could lead to a malware infection, too. Thus, you have to make sure that there are no intruders ANYWHERE in your system, and you might as well want to start with Gator.
It is not hard to get rid of this cookie. You just need to reset your browser settings to default. If there are more tracking cookies present, they will be deleted with the browser reset as well. It might be harder to terminate all the unwanted programs. Thus, as mentioned in the first paragraph, you should perform a full system scan with a legitimate security tool like SpyHunter to find all the potential threats present, and remove them immediately.
Aside from investing in a security application, you should also consider reviewing your web browsing habits. Stay away from unfamiliar websites and be wary of what you click on. Sometimes even the most innocent-looking website might have the worst thorns about there.
How to Reset Your Browser
Internet Explorer
- Press Alt+T and navigate to Internet options.
- Open the Advanced tab and click Reset.
- Select Delete personal settings and press Reset.
- Press Close.
Firefox
- Press Alt+H and open Troubleshooting information.
- At the top right of the new tab, click Refresh Firefox.
- Press Refresh Firefox again and click Finish.
Chrome
- Press Alt+F and go to Settings.
- At the bottom of the page, click Advanced.
- Click Reset settings to their original defaults at the bottom.
- Press Reset settings.
Edge
- Click the Windows icon and enter Settings. Press Enter.
- Click Apps on the Windows Settings window.
- Choose Microsoft Edge and open Advanced options.
- Press Reset at the bottom of the page.
- Click Reset to confirm.
In non-techie terms:
Gator is a piece of software that can collect information on what pages you visit and what search keywords you use. It is a very common method to customize user’s online experience. However, the problems arise when Gator shares that information with third parties. Since there is no way to guarantee that the third parties do not exploit this information, it is necessary to remove Gator from your browser today.