Security
Cen-chemjobs.org allows you to pay for purchases online by using your MasterCard, Visa, and American Express credit cards. Because some customers have concerns about providing their credit card numbers over the Internet, we have provided some answers to common questions.
Is it safe to provide my credit card account numbers over the Internet?
We believe that it is safe to provide your credit card account number over the Internet; if we didn't, we wouldn't offer this payment option. All transfer of your payment information, including credit card handling, is done through a secure server using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. This allows your Web browser to encode any data it sends to our server, so that even if someone intercepted your information as it traveled across the Internet they wouldn't be able to read it. For more technical information on why SSL is a safe way to send sensitive information, please read Netscape's How SSL Works.
We have a "server certificate" issued to us by VeriSign, the SSL certificate authority on the Internet. They are a trusted third party authenticator. This certificate verifies that you are really sending your credit card number to us, and not someone pretending to be us. It is standard SSL procedure to get a certificate, usually from VeriSign.
In the unlikely event that unauthorized use of your credit card occurs, follow the reporting procedures that your credit card provider has set up and contact us immediately by phone (888-667-7988), fax (202-776-8187), or e-mail . Federal law limits your responsibility for unauthorized charges to $50.00US (the maximum liability allowed under the Fair Credit Billing Act. For more information on the Fair Credit Billing Act, visit the Federal Trade Commission Web site).
How do I know if a Web site is secure?
- When you buy something on the Internet, look for three things:
- All data you transmit is strongly encrypted.
- The site you're doing business with is the site you think it is.
- The site you're doing business with processes your credit card information in a safe and responsible manner.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), the industry-standard security protocol that cen-chemjobs.org uses to communicate with secure browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer, takes care of the first two items. When communicating with a secure server like ours, these browsers encrypt the information you send in a way that is extremely difficult for anyone else to decode. If you are not sure whether your browser supports secure transactions, don't worry. If it doesn't, you won't be able to complete the transaction. You should also look for a visual image that indicates a secure site (see below).
Once your order is received, we take care to keep your information confidential in the same ways that we as consumers want our information secured.
How do I know I'm in a secure area of the Web site?
There are several ways to confirm that you're in a secure area. All SSL-capable browsers have a symbol to indicate the secure mode (see below).
| Browser |
Symbol Location |
Insecure mode symbol (normal operating mode) |
Secure mode symbol |
| Netscape 1.2, 2.0, and 3.0 |
Lower left |
Broken Key |
Complete Key |
| Netscape Communicator 4.0 |
Lower left |
Open Lock |
Closed Lock |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer |
Lower right |
NONE |
Closed Lock |
You can also tell when you're in a secure area because the URL to the left of the colon changes from "http" to "https" to signify that a SSL protocol is being used to communicate with the server. (HTTP means HyperText Transport Protocol; https means HTTP with SSL.) In most browsers you'll also see a solid blue line in the upper portion of the browser's window. This additional visual cue tells you that you are browsing a secure area.
One additional note: some browsers give you a warning when you go from a secure area to a regular area. The aim is worthy enough - to ensure that people know when they've left a secure server. But in practice, the message is often a bit startling, and makes it look like you've done something wrong even though you really haven't.
Why are some areas secure and others aren't?
Most of the activity on our site involves the viewing of materials we've prepared and made accessible to everyone, so there's no need for these pages to be "secure". With a product page or a help page, for example, there is no security risk because no confidential information is being exchanged. Anyone can access the same pages by pointing their browser at /.
The part of cen-chemjobs.org that has extra security is the checkout area. This is where you actually purchase services from our site. The entire checkout process takes place in a secure environment.
I understand your explanation but are there alternatives to online transactions?
Certainly! You may contact us by phone Monday through Friday (except holidays) during business hours (8:30am to 5:00pm Eastern Time), or by fax with your credit card information. You may also contact us by e-mail but please do not include your credit card information in the message; we will call you to complete the transaction.
Please remember that you play a valuable part in security as well. Your password to access your account should never be shared with anyone and should be changed frequently. After you are finished using our site, you should log off and exit your browser so no unauthorized persons can use the site with your name and cen-chemjobs account information. Furthermore, if you provide any information to parties who operate Web sites that are linked to or from our site, different rules may apply to their collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information. We encourage you to review these sites' policies before revealing any sensitive or personal information.
If you have any additional questions don't hesitate to contact us by phone (888-667-7988), fax (202-776-8187), or e-mail at
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