With cookies, a site can maintain information on a user who accesses the site. When the user returns to the site, the cookie can be read and used to provide the site with information about the user.
Some Web sites use cookies to track repeat visits of individuals to monitor Web site usage.
Other sites use cookies to identify users so they don't have to log in every time they visit the site. The benefit of cookies is that they can be used to personalize content to meet the needs of a specific user. The Web site may deliver one or more cookies to the client. The client stores cookie data on its local hard drive. Cookies can only store data that is provided by the server or generated by an explicit user action.