We are committed to safeguarding your security. To guarantee that the information submitted on our Web site remains absolutely secure and confidential, we use industry-standard hardware and software in combination with authentication and certification by third parties.
Short for Secure Sockets Layer, SSL is a protocol originally developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. Browsers from Netscape (version 2.0 and higher) and Microsoft (version 3.0 and higher) both support SSL. Many Web sites, including ours, use the protocol to obtain user information securely. SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data. As part of an SSL data transmission, a third-party Certificate Authority authenticates the identity of the sending and receiving computer. This process prevents unauthorized users from intercepting data, and from sending false information about you. Our Secure Server Digital ID has been issued and certified by VeriSign - a leading Certificate Authority.
The VeriSign Authentic Site Seal is designed to be a symbol of trust. By clicking on the seal, you are linked to a secure Web page that provides details on the Authentic Site program as well as the ability to view our Secure Server Digital ID. Specifically, the seal symbolizes that: a secure channel is in place when you connect to our server; all data exchanged with the server is encrypted and/or unaltered; and VeriSign has verified that the we have the right to use the name presented on the site.
As a second layer of protection, we utilize firewall technology. This is a system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network, such as our Web servers, when connected to the Internet. All data entering or leaving our network must pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet our specified security criteria.
Additionally, we have taken precautions to store any information you submit on a database server, which is separate from our Web server. Even in the unlikely event that someone gains unauthorized access to our Web site, it would not be possible to access your data.