The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo M-10-22, Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies allows federal agencies to use session and persistent cookies. When you visit any website, its server may generate a piece of text known as a “cookie” to place on your computer. The cookie allows the server to “remember” specific information about your visit while you are connected. There are two types of cookies, temporary single session cookies and persistent multi-session cookies. Session cookies last only as long as your browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods.
Session Cookies: We use session cookies for technical purposes, for example, to enable better navigation through our site. These cookies let our server know that you are continuing a visit to our site. The OMB memo 10-22 guidance defines use of session cookies as "Usage Tier 1—Single Session.” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of single session Web measurement and customization technologies.”
Persistent Cookies: We use persistent cookies to differentiate between new and returning CCOS site visitors. Persistent cookies remain on your computer between visits to our website until they expire. The OMB memo 10-22 guidance defines use of persistent cookies as "Usage Tier 2—Multi-session without Personally Identifiable Information (PII).” The policy says, “This tier encompasses any use of multi-session Web measurement and customization technologies when no PII is collected.”
When a user visits, uses, or navigates the CCOS public website, we may automatically store non-personally identifiable information depending on how you choose to interact with the website. This information does not reveal your specific identity but can include time, date, country, location, referring URL, pages visited, links clicked, language preferences, device name, browser type, IP address, domain name, and operating system used. The information regarding your website navigation is collected indirectly via the aforementioned session and performance cookies. This information can be further categorized into essential cookies for operation of the website and performance cookies for analytics purposes. CCOS uses the performance cookies collected to measure the number of visitors to our site and to help make our site more useful to visitors. CCOS collects cookies automatically and continuously from visitors who read, browse, and/or download information from this site by using Google Analytics. CCOS staff and contractors conduct analyses and report on the aggregated data from Google Analytics. The reports are only available to the website’s managers and other designated staff who require this information to perform their duties. CCOS retains the data from Google Analytics for as long as it is needed to support the CCOS mission. CCOS never collects PII, information for commercial marketing or, any purpose unrelated to the CCOS Center’s mission and goals.
When accessing the public website for the first time, you can choose to accept or decline to provide performance cookies about your site navigation. If you choose to decline participation in performance analytics, only the essential information necessary to deliver the website’s content and services will remain. Your cookie preferences can be updated at any time by using the footer menu of the website.
If you do not wish to have session or persistent cookies placed on your computer, you can disable them altogether by using your browser’s settings. If you opt out of all cookies, you will still have access to all CCOS site information and resources. Note, by following the instructions to opt-out of cookies setup by your browser, you will disable cookies from all sources, not just those from our website.