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Privacy and security on the Internet are complex issues, full of technical terms and legal requirements. How do I know if the site I am using is secure? There are two ways to determine whether or not the web site you are viewing is secure: 1.Look at the address of the web page being viewed. An "s" at the end of http indicates that you are attached to a secure server using SSL technology. Therefore, any web page beginning with https:// is secure. 2.If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, Netscape Navigator 4.0 or a higher version of either of these browsers, look at the lower right hand corner of the browser's window. A picture of a lock or a key, depending on the browser, should be visible. If the lock is closed or the key is solid, you are on a secure site. If the lock is open or the key is broken, the site you are visiting is not secure.
What is SSL? SSL is an encryption technology called Secure Sockets Layer. SSL provides secure communications over the Internet by verifying that the server to which you are connected is the one it claims to be. It also encrypts all transactions between the parties communicating. What is encryption? Encryption is the way in which information is scrambled when it is sent over the Internet. Your data is made indecipherable to any other party when encryption is used. The strongest form of encryption available over the Internet today is 128-bit, and we recommend using 128-bit encryption for security. Click here for more information on encryption. A cookie is a file sent from a web site to a computer that is logged on to the site. This file lets the site recognise if the computer has been there before and what security requirements and browser preferences the computer requires. The site that has sent the cookie is the only one that can read the cookie, and only information that has been given directly by the logged on user to the site is accessible. Computer viruses cannot be transmitted through cookies. Users can choose to not accept cookies. You may do this by making the appropriate selection from your browser options. You should understand, however, that certain services require cookies for effective delivery. Where this is the case, users will be informed that they will need to allow cookies if they wish to receive the service. Cookies also make your visit to a site simpler by keeping you from having to re-enter your password every time you change pages within a secure session. How do I make sure my information cannot be accessed after I use a public computer? If you access information via a public computer, such as at a public library, it is important that you properly log off the web site after you have finished your session. This will help ensure the security and privacy of your visit.
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