What exactly is a secure server?

It is a software application similar to a web server application, however the data is encrypted. We use 128-bit encryption on our server. This level of encryption is so secure that it is illegal to export this type of software outside of the United States and Canada because it is used for national security.

Is it safe to send my credit card number with my order in an email to a merchant?

Absolutely not! Normal email messages are not encrypted and therefore are not the protected, secure way to send confidential information over the Internet.

How safe is it to give out my credit card over the web, on a secure web site's order page?

The answer depends on how diligent the webmaster was in securing the site. With proper precautions, your credit card is infinitely safer than if you simply hand it to some stranger in a restaurant or read it over the phone to a mail-order clerk. It has been estimated that for a hacker to decode a credit card using an Internet "sniffer", he would require the simultaneous coordinated efforts of every computer in the world for approximately 250 years. That's just to decode one credit card.

However, it's important to know when you are entering your credit card over a secure link.

How can I tell if I'm transferring my credit card information over a secure link on a web site's order page?

When you access a secure server, on the bottom, right-hand corner of the Firefox browser you will see an icon of a lock. If you are using a non-secure link, there will be no locked icon visible.

MS Internet Explorer has a similar icon.

I tried accessing several "secure" web sites, but my browser says that I'm only getting 40-bit encryption. What does this mean?

You probably have an "Export Grade" browser. If you would like the added protection of 128-bit encryption, you should access your browser's website and download the 128-bit browser.