A Version 4 or higher browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, etc.) is required to view this Web site. These browsers have features that relate to the integrity of information that you enter in online forms: encryption, digital certificates and cookies. We also provide links to download the latest browser versions.

Encryption is the process of using a secret code to protect information that is sent and received on your computer. This makes it much more difficult for computer criminals to intercept and steal this information.

This secret code makes use of a "Key" that only your browser and the Web site you are communicating with know. Your browser uses the key to turn the information you enter into what looks like random characters and symbols, but which can be turned back into your information at the receiving Web site by using the same key. The only way for an unauthorized person to intercept this encoded (or "encrypted") information is to guess what the key is. The bigger this key is, the more difficult it is for an unauthorized person to guess it. The size of the key is expressed in "bits", which are the smallest unit of information stored in a computer. The more bits in the key, the more secure the encryption.

In order to use the online banking features of this Web site, your browser must support "strong" encryption - encryption that uses a 128-bit "key". Some browsers support only 40- or 56-bit keys, which until quite recently were considered adequate for business and personal use. However, it is now possible for computer criminals to "break" 40- and 56-bit encryption. 128-bit encryption is considered effectively unbreakable with current technology.

To determine the level of security supported by your browser, check the "About" box. Most browsers will list the level of encryption supported.

In addition, the North Shore Bank Web site makes use of the highest level of encryption supported by your browser, up to the 128-bit maximum currently supported on the Web, when filling in online forms that may contain sensitive or private information.

These Web site encryption features and policies are designed to ensure the security and privacy of all online transactions. Look for the Lock or Key icon at the bottom of your browser window to verify that a secure connection has been established.

Digital Certificates are used to authenticate a computer - that is, to prove that you are really communicating with the computer that you think you are. It is like a digital fingerprint - no two computers are the same. This is important when you are sending sensitive or private information. Whenever a secure connection is made to a Web server, its digital certificate is checked and verified.

North Shore Bank's digital certificate, assigned by VeriSign, proves the identity of our Web server when a secure connection is established. When you submit forms with private information, you can be assured that it is not falling into the wrong hands. The same Lock or Key icon at the bottom of the browser window that indicates an encrypted connection also indicates an authenticated connection.

Cookies are a powerful and useful feature that allows your browser to remember information from one web page to another. This capability is critical to many Web applications that people depend on and use every day. A cookie can be used only by the Web site that created it. But some Web sites use this feature to store information on your system that you might not want them to keep track of.

The North Shore Bank Web site makes use of cookies in a responsible and secure manner. Cookies set by the North Shore Bank Web site do not contain sensitive information. They cannot be used by any other Web site, and are automatically removed when they are no longer needed.

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