Internet Security Credit card issuers listed on this website use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to secure your personal information for transmission over the Internet. When you fill out an online credit card application, your information is encrypted (encoded) by the SSL technology before your application is transmitted over the Internet. After your encrypted application reaches the credit card issuer, your credit card application is then decrypted (decoded) at the receiving end. There are two ways to know you are using a website with SSL encryption capabilities: 1. A closed lock symbol appears in the lower right corner of your browser. 2. The web address begins with ‘https://’ instead of ‘http://’ The ‘s’ in the ‘https’ address stands for ‘secure.’ Make sure to check your browser for the ‘https://’ and for the closed lock symbol every time before you send any private information over the Internet to make sure your information is secured. You will enter the SSL credit card application website from this website after you click a link leading to a credit card issuer. To take advantage of the SSL encryption technology, you need to use a browser with SSL capabilities. A browser with 128-bit encryption capabilities (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 or higher, Netscape Navigator version 4.0 or higher, or AOL browser version 4.0 or higher) is recommended and often required by many merchants to ensure the maximum protection. You can find the encryption level of your browser in the following ways: Internet Explorer: 1. Click on ‘Help’ on your browser’s menu bar 2. From the menu choose ‘About Internet Explorer’ 3. The number following the ‘Cipher Strength’ is the encryption level of your browser. With current technology, the highest encryption level is 128-bit. Netscape: 1. Click on ‘Help’ on your browser’s menu bar 2. From the menu choose ‘About Netscape’ 3. The line “This version supports high-grade (128-bit) security with RSA Public Key Cryptography” indicates the encryption level of your browser. With current technology, the highest encryption level is 128-bit. If the encryption level of your browser is lower than 128-bit (such as 40-bit), it is advised to upgrade your browser in order to achieve the highest Internet security. To download the latest version of the Microsoft Internet Explorer for free, click here. To download the latest version of the Netscape Navigator for free, click here. | 
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