Security
The Athabasca University's Office of the Registar Online Services uses the highest level of encryption commercially available. All communications between your browser and our secure site are encrypted. This means all transactions containing your personal and credit card information cannot be viewed by any who may listening in on the line. The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is the industry standard encryption method. You know when you are using SSL encryption when a web address starts with "https://". Some web browsers show a closed lock graphic at the bottom of a browser window when it is viewing a secure site. Double clicking on the lock will bring up information on the secure site you are currently viewing. Other browsers may access this information through their individual menus. Your browser authenticates the secure digital certificate being presented by secure site. The certificate is verified by using a "Trusted" signer's certificate that is built into your browser. Verisign/RSA signer certificates are one of many certificates that are available on most browsers.
Note: If the presented secure site certificate is invalid your browser will warn you. Athabasca University's certificate provider is DigiCert Inc. DigiCert is a WebTrust Certified Certificate Authority, a member of the CA/Browser Forum and the W3C Consortium. DigiCert uses the certificate technology of one of the world's leading Secure Server Certification Authority, RSA Data Security, Inc. Part of the process of applying for a secure site digital certificate includes verification of an organization's existance, registration and financial status. This process is performed every year as part of the certificate renewal.