Browser data gives up secrets

It seems that while computer users spend money on security measures to keep criminals out of their computers, they could actually be leaving traces around the internet themselves.

According to the internet privacy group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a web browser can be as individual to the user as a camera or old style typewriter can be.

As users work their way around the internet they leave a trail, with cookies, plugins and data from the operating system.

This is a fingerprint and can ultimately be used to identify the user.

In a test carried out by the EFF, around 84 per cent of volunteers could be identified after visiting a specially created website.

To make thing worse, there are companies that are beginning to sell browser fingerprint products.