Cookies were originally designed to help a website distinguish a user's browser as a previous visitor and thus save and remember any preferences that may have been set while the user was browsing the site. A cookie is a small string of text that a website can send to your browser. A cookie cannot retrieve any other data from your hard drive, pass on computer viruses, or capture your email address. Currently, websites use cookies to enhance the user's visit; in general, cookies can securely store a user's ID and password, personalize home pages, identify which parts of a site have been visited, or keep track of selections in a "shopping cart."
It is possible to set your browser to inform you when a cookie is being placed — this way, you have the opportunity to decide whether to accept the cookie. On this confidential information website, you must accept cookies because they are essential for site security, which is their only purpose. Refusing to accept a cookie will prevent you from using the services provided.
Each browser has a procedure for setting cookie preferences. For example in Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the Tools menu and click on Internet Options. On the Privacy tab, move the settings slider to Low or Accept All Cookies, then click OK.