Security Controls and Browser Requirements
This site requires the use of secure browsers to protect you while you
access our online services. Secure browsers allow you to communicate with
our Web site in a protected session by encrypting information that flows
between you and the site. To verify your session is secure, look for https:
instead of http: in the URL address line, and a secure
symbol (for example, closed padlock or key) on the status bar of your
browser located on the lower part of the screen. For greater security
when viewing your account information over the Internet, we recommend
you use a browser with 128-bit encryption. For more information on your
browser's features and how to download a more secure version of your browser,
click on one of the browser logos at the bottom.
We use Secure
Socket Layer (SSL) technology for mutual authentication,
data encryption and data integrity- all to ensure secure transactions
for our customers. SSL is the industry standard security protocol to encode
sensitive information, such as your credit card number. SSL creates a
shared digital key, which only lets the sender and the receiver of the
transmission scramble or unscramble information. To everyone else, even
the servers relaying the message, the SSL transmission is indecipherable.
SSL encryption can only be broken by intercepting the encrypted message,
recording it, and using a computer to try every possible combination until
the key is cracked. Most keys range from 40 to 1,024 digits long...as
you can imagine, the number of possible combinations can be into the billions
and beyond!
The Web site
is behind firewalls to protect our computer systems and user information.
Firewalls can be thought of as a selective barrier that permits only specific
types of traffic (transactions) through to our systems. The equipment
itself is stored in a secure area of our facilities with access only by
those authorized.