What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device whenever you visit a website.
We use cookies on our website to collect certain information about how you browse our website, this includes the pages visited and your journey around our website.
Some of the cookies we use also keep track of the settings you have selected and any actions you have taken on our website. This helps to remember you and your preferences when you return to our website.
There are also cookies that help make this website work properly and keep it secure.
If you would like to know more about cookies and why websites use them visit All About Cookies or About Cookies.
Cookies used by NCT
The table below shows all the cookies that are used on our website.
Strictly necessary cookies
These cookies are essential for the website to function properly.
| Cookie service | Cookies | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHP (Session Management) | PHPSESSID | Maintains user session in PHP-based apps | Session-based |
| Drupal | SSESS | Manages user sessions in Drupal | 1 month |
| Affiliate Tracking | affiliate_refsrc, affiliate_cid | Tracks referral sources and campaigns for affiliates | 30 days |
Analytical cookies
These cookies track website usage and user interactions to improve website performance.
| Cookie service | Cookies | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics | _ga, _ga*, _gid, _gat, _dc_gtm*, __utma, __utmt, __utmb, __utmc, __utmz, __utmv | User behaviour tracking, traffic analysis, and reporting | 1 minute – 2 years |
| Microsoft (Bing & Clarity) | MUID, _clck, _clsk, CLID | User tracking for Bing Ads and Clarity behaviour analysis | 24 hours – 13 months |
| Visual Website Optimizer (VWO) | _vwo*, _vis* | A/B testing and website personalisation | Varies |
| Auth0 (Authentication Service) | AUTH0* | Tracks authentication sessions | Varies |
Marketing cookies
These cookies are used for advertising, remarketing, and user tracking across websites.
| Cookie service | Cookies | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Ads & DoubleClick | IDE, DSID, _gcl_au, AID, __Secure-*, DV | Advertising tracking, retargeting, and conversion tracking | 24 hours – 2 years |
| Google Consent & Security | SIDCC, SOCS, AEC, CONSENT | Security, fraud prevention, and user consent management | 6 months – 2+ years |
| Google Search & Preferences | NID, SEARCH_SAMESITE, OTZ | Stores user preferences for Google search and related services | 6 months – 30 days |
| Google Authentication & Security | SSID, HSID, SID, SAPISID, APISID | Authentication, security, and fraud prevention | 2 years |
| Facebook (Meta) | _fbp* | Facebook Pixel tracking for ad performance | 3 months |
| AdSense Debugging | ar_debug | Used for debugging Google AdSense services | Varies |
How to choose the cookies you want
You can choose which types of cookies you want depositing to your device by opening the cookie banner, which can be done by clicking on the Cookie settings link at the bottom of this page.
You can change your mind about the cookies you have set at any time when you visit our website.
The only exception is the “essential” cookies. These cookies are permanently switched on and it is not possible for you to disable them as they enable core functionality such as security, verification of identity and network management.
You can also disable cookies direct from your browser. To find out how to view which cookies have been deposited to your device and how to remove them, visit the relevant information for the browser you use:
Information relating to other browsers can be found by visiting the browser developer's website.
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, you can download and install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
