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SECURITY
INFORMATION At Bank of Clarke County, we are aware of concerns about security and the safety of financial information transmitted on the Internet. Bank of Clarke County employs the latest in Internet security and User Authentication to ensure that data being transmitted through our Online banking system is secure from unauthorized access. Technology has been developed to safeguard data through encryption by creating barriers between systems that can only be crossed with authorized passwords, and by creating safe pathways to and from each system. These security methods are outlined below. Digital ID's from Verisign Encryption and Decryption Secured Data Transmission Server Access and Firewalls How You Can Help
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Digital ID's from
Verisign Bank of Clarke County's Online Banking System uses digital ID's certified by Verisign, an industry leader in digital identification certificates, to authenticate user information and provide access to the data through the system. Digital ID's work off of a matched key setup where the server has a "private" key issued only to the server and a "public" key widely distributed to the bank's customers. A digital ID requires a matched pair of keys that are unique to each other to encrypt and decrypt data. Under this arrangement, transactions created, encrypted, and transmitted by bank customers using the public key can only be decrypted by the other key in the pair running on the server. Back to top Encryption and Decryption Encryption is a process in which data is transformed into some generally unreadable and unrecognizable form. It ensures privacy by keeping information hidden from anyone for whom it is not intended, even those who can see the encrypted data. Decryption, the reverse of encryption, is the process by which encrypted data is transformed back into some recognizable form. All of the information that travels over the Internet during your online banking visits will become a series of unrecognizable characters. The computers used to process our online banking transactions, and your computer and web browser, can translate this code back to an intelligible form. However, the translation of this code by unauthorized users is virtually impossible because while there are billions of possible keys that could potentially solve each formula, there is only one that will work. Bank of Clarke County's system uses the strongest encryption method available for its communications. However, your browser also plays a part in the level of encryption you are able to obtain. Domestic-grade or "128-bit" encryption provides more powerful encoding than international-grade or "40-bit" encryption. Software using "128-bit" encryption is approximately 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 times stronger than 40-bit encryption. While "40-bit" encryption is acceptable for low-risk transactions, it is recommended that "128-bit" encryption be used for online banking transactions. Back to topOur Online Banking System, combined with digital ID authentication through Verisign, allows the server to implement Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, the standard technology for secure web-based transactions. With SSL, data traveling between the bank and its customers is encrypted and can only be decrypted through the pairing of the public and private key pair. SSL capability is built into server hardware and web browsers, but requires a digital ID to be functional. Back to top Server Access and Firewalls Server access is protected using a firewall. A firewall is a combination of hardware and software that is designed to filter information from the Internet. Firewalls protect networks by ensuring that only authorized traffic is allowed into and out of the network. Back to top How You Can Help While Bank of Clarke County has taken numerous steps to keep your account information secure, there are several things that you can do to help safeguard your financial information while it is in your computer: Protect your password: Carefully select a password that is difficult for others to guess. You should memorize your password and avoid writing it in a location accessible to others. Change you password regularly: As an increased safety measure, you should change your password on a regular basis. To change your password, click on the "edit preferences selection", then choose the "change password" option. Log off when your session is complete: Since you may not always be at your home computer when you bank with us online, always remember to log off by clicking "exit" when you are finished your session. Back to top |
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