Data are Encrypted at all Times
Our secure servers use Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer (HTTPS) to ensure the encrypted transmission of data between your browser and the U.S. Census Bureau. This means that instead of sending readable text over the Internet, both your browser and our servers encode (scramble) all text using a security key. That way, personal data sent to your browser and data you send back are extremely difficult to decode in the unlikely event of interception by an unauthorized party. As a result of this, your browser must be capable of using the required encryption protocol and strength in order to connect to our servers. If you cannot connect to our secure servers, please upgrade to a newer browser.
Third Party Identity Proofing
Our secure servers use a digital certificate (digital ID) issued by a trusted, third party Certificate Authority (CA) as proof of identity. The only way to be sure of a web site's authenticity is to view their digital ID. In this way, you can be assured that you are not being "spoofed" or tricked by an imposter. The digital ID will contain information such as the name of the organization that owns the web site, the site's registered internet name/address, and the name of the Certification Authority under which the digital ID was issued. The method for viewing a web site's Digital Certificate/ID varies depending on the web browser. Please see your browser's "Help" information for instructions on how to verify a web site's identity.