Which type of cookie is maintained until it is deleted or has a set expiration date?

The correct answer is persistent cookie. A persistent cookie is designed to remain on a user's device until it is either deleted by the user or reaches its predetermined expiration date set by the website that created the cookie. This allows persistent cookies to store user preferences, login information, and other data even after the user has closed their web browser, making them useful for enhancing the user experience on subsequent visits.

Temporary cookies, also known as session cookies, are designed to be temporary and are deleted automatically when the user closes their browser. This is in contrast to persistent cookies, which remain in place until explicitly removed or when their expiration date arrives.

While Flash cookies serve a similar purpose as regular cookies, they are stored using Adobe Flash technology and typically have different management capabilities. They can also persist beyond what regular cookies do, but they are distinct in their operation and technology.

Understanding how different types of cookies function helps in grasping their implications for user privacy and data security, as persistent cookies can track user behavior over time while session cookies do not have that capability.