Cookies stored by web browsers can be easily stolen, as most browsers store them in plaintext. Popular browsers like Firefox store cookies in SQLite databases, Internet Explorer in text files, and Opera and Safari in custom binary formats - all of which can be read easily by tools or code. Chromium encrypts cookies on Windows, Mac, and Linux, but cookies can still be decrypted on Linux. Physical access, social engineering, malware, and other attacks can steal browser cookies. Defenses include disk encryption, application firewalls, SELinux, and a master password for cookies.