Security code so advanced
it would take forever and a day to break

Let me tell you about how we operate to ensure your safety when you make a credit card purchase through our online store. I think what causes the greatest fear is a lack of understanding of how something works. Let's see if we can provide some understanding here.

Banned until recently

When you enter our Order Desk, you are in a high security area. When you supply your name, address and telephone number, your input is encrypted. It is translated into complete gobbledygook using 128-bit encryption.

This is a type of encoding so advanced that the U.S. government banned its export to any country other than Canada until recently. Spy messages given 128-bit encryption would have been too difficult to translate; U.S. intelligence agencies wanted to keep that level of encryption to themselves.

Dwarfs solar system's age

It is projected that a 128-bit encrypted message, would take 1 trillion times 1 trillion years to decode without the right key! That's several trillion times older than our solar system. By the time someone could decipher your credit card number, even supposing they could get at the encrypted version, all our credit card accounts will long since have been closed!

The order form you complete on our Order Desk page resides on a separate computer using the highest degree of security available in the industry today. The actual transaction is carried out between a bank-approved transaction processing company and your bank, with input from your credit card company. 

Special key unlocks code

This secure site sends your browser a certificate containing information about that site and verifying the secure site's identity. It may ask your browser for its digital ID. It's a bit like when you use a check to buy something in a store and they ask for your driver's license, another piece of photo ID, and for your signature on the credit card slip.

When everyone is proven to be who they say they are, your browser sends the secure site what is known as a "session key". This is the key which unlocks the code used to send your information. Once that key has been sent, the two computers can 'talk' to each other.

While all this is going on, you will notice a hesitation of a few seconds. Verification is taking place out of sight.

Bank-approved service

Once identity verification has taken place, a bank-approved transaction service takes over. It uses encryption and a secure phone line to forward information to your bank to make sure the card has not be reported as lost or stolen, that it has a valid number, and that the purchase is within the credit limits established for your account.

As you can see, at no time are we ever in possession of your credit card number, eliminating the possibility of its theft from our computers or place of business. 

More secure than a "real" store

This is much more secure than using your card in a store where signed charge slips are kept until they are deposited in the store's bank account.

When your card is approved, one of two things happens. If you are paying for the download version of the software, our server is instructed to issue you a key to enable you to unlock the full version. If you are buying the presentation book version or the CD, we are provided with your name, address and shipping requirements.

Shipped before payment

Only when your order has been shipped is your card debited and payment released to our bank account.

We think that when you understand how transactions are handled, you should feel a lot more comfortable about making credit card purchases online.