Virus Protection and Security

Security

Viruses | Security

Whenever you transmit personal information over the Internet you should be concerned with security. Will your information be transmitted reliably to the person or company you intended? Who else will see your information?

One of the most important means of insuring the safety and fidelity of information transmitted over the web is SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol that encrypts the data as it is sent over the Internet. There are different levels of this protocol, ranging form 40-bit encryption to 128-bit encryption, with the latter being far more secure.

Sometimes security breaches occur after your information reaches its intended destination. The information may be secure while it is transmitted, but the data storage at the destination could be weak and your info could be stolen there. It's important to realize that you should send personal and financial information only to reputable businesses. Otherwise the information could be misused.

For more details about SSL visit SSL Basics for Users. An introduction to the technical information is available at Introduction to SSL.