Q. Is my
confidential information secure?
A.
Whenever American
Express Publishing asks you to send confidential information over the
Internet, including personal account data, we require that a "secure session"
using SSL first be established.
Q.
What is a "secure session" and how does it help keep my information
safe?
A.
During a secure
SSL session, data passed back and forth between your computer and American
Express Publishing's systems is secured by using public key cryptography.
Your computer exchanges key information with American Express computers
to create a private conversation that only your computer and American
Express systems can understand.
Q.
What specifically is SSL?
A.
Any time you
access or supply Card account information in one of our secure online
areas, that information is encrypted by a technology called Secure Sockets
Layer, often abbreviated as SSL. SSL technology secretly encodes information
as it is being sent over the Internet between your computer and American
Express Publishing's systems, helping to ensure that the information
remains confidential. The use of SSL requires two components: an SSL-compatible
browser and a web server to perform the "key-exchange" that establishes
an SSL connection to American Express Web server systems.
Q.
What type of browser do I need?
A.
To benefit from
SSL technology, you will need a browser with SSL capabilities. Examples
of SSL browsers include Netscape 2.0, Microsoft's Internet Explorer
2.0, and the Web browser for America Online version 3.0 for Windows.
(Note that some older versions of browsers will not support SSL sessions).
If you don't already have a browser with SSL capabilities, you can download
an SSL browser from either of the links below.
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Q.
What type of connection do I need?
A.
Nearly all Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) automatically enable the SSL session described
above, as do most online services such as America Online, CompuServe,
and Prodigy. If you use your company's internal connection to access the
Internet and you find you can not access American Express Publishing's
secured pages with an SSL browser described above, your company may be
blocking access via a "firewall". Please speak to your firm's Internet
access systems administrator for further details on your network's Internet
access.
Q.
When do I enter into a "secure SSL session"?
A.
Secure SSL sessions
are established in American Express Publishing areas where transactional
credit card and personal data is being transmitted.
Q.
What should I do if I am using a "public"computer?
A.
If you use a
computer that others also work and you are uncomfortable that they may
view "cached" pages after you have left the station, then please quit/exit
your browser software before leaving. This will decrease the possibility
of anyone viewing confidential information. No other users will be able
to access your Card account information online without your User-ID
and password.
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Q.
What are "Cookies"? Do I need to accept them ?
A.
A cookie is a
text file on your computer that reminds our system of your particular
browser preferences and security requirements and lets American Express
Publishing know exactly who you are. If your browser prompts you when
a cookie is "served", you must accept it or access to confidential information
will be denied, because we will not be able to ensure that the data
is being sent to the proper parties. Because cookies are site specific,
only American Express Online Services can access, decode, and make use
of the information.
Back to Privacy Statement
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