User Guide

User’s Guide 59
Internet Security and Privacy
What can I do to keep my stuff safe?
With sniffer in place, a hacker can intercept credit card numbers and other
private information by capturing data transmissions, and then using
pattern-matching algorithms to filter out the valuable information.
Intercepted credit card info can be sold to criminals, intent on committing
fraud.
To avoid this problem, Web browsers incorporate encryption technologythat
cloaks information and makes it difficult to get at. Encryption is the basic
technique that the Web uses to guarantee information security.
The current encryption standard i s called “Secure Sockets Layer” (SSL),
supported both by Microsoft and Netscape, and incorporated in their
browsers. An icon in the browser ch anges to indicate thatSSL is active.When
you makea transactionwithSSLactive, youcanbe fairlycomfortable that the
transaction is safe.
When you visit an SSL-secured site, the latest versions o f Netscape
CommunicatorandMicrosoftInternetExploreruseavis ualcuetotellyouthat
the siteis secure. Formoreinformation,see HowcanI tell ifa Web siteissecure?

NOTE: Guard Dog’s CheckUp lets you know if your Web browser is
up-to-date.The latestbrowser versionsusuallyo ffer anenhanceddegree
of security.
How can I tell if a Web site is secure?
Today, many sites useSSLto setup secure commerce onthe Web. In addition
toWebserver security,themost common Internet browsersprovide feedback
about the security level of the site to which you are currently connected. For
example, Netscape Communicatordisplaysa lockiconinthelowerleftcorner
of the browser window. If the lock icon is broken, the site is not secure. If the
lock symbolisnot broken, thesite is secure. Inaddition, if thelock symbol has
a gold background, the site is using strong, 128-bit encryption.
Recent versions of Microsoft I nternet Explorer and America Online browsers
also display security information. For more information about how your
browser indicates the security level of sites, refer to your browsers on-line
help, or the printed documentation.