Ensuring User Privacy

When you communicate over the Web, you want to know that other people cannot intercept or decipher the information you send and receive and cannot use your passwords and other private information. You also want to ensure that no one can access information on your computer without your knowledge. Internet Explorer protects your privacy in the following ways:

• It supports a wide range of Internet security and privacy standards that provide secure information transfer and financial transactions over the Internet or intranet.

• It provides encryption and identification capabilities to help users ensure the privacy of their information on the Web.

Secure Communications

Internet Explorer supports the latest Internet security standards, including Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), and Private Communications Technology (PCT). Internet Explorer uses these protocols to create a secure channel for information exchange over the Web. In addition, Internet Explorer supports Fortezza security technology through the Fortezza Cryptographic Service Provider (CSP) plug-in. Users with Fortezza Crypto Cards can install the Fortezza CSP plug-in to ensure secure Internet Explorer communications based on Fortezza security standards.

When you browse a Web site that supports SSL, TLS, PCT, or Fortezza, Internet Explorer displays a lock icon in the browser's status bar at the bottom of your computer screen; in Fortezza mode, an "F" is overlaid on the lock icon. When you see this lock, you know that you can safely send information over the Internet to the site you are browsing.

For more information about Internet Explorer support for SSL, TLS, PCT, and Fortezza, see Chapter 6 , "Digital Certificates."

Zone-Based Password Security Protection

Internet Explorer prompts you before transmitting your user name or password to sites that are designated as trusted in the security zones settings. You can, however, also configure security zones to send information from trusted sites without prompting you. For more information about configuring security zones, see Chapter 7 , "Security Zones and Permission-Based Security for Microsoft Virtual Machine."

Control Over Cookies

An HTTP cookie is a small file that an individual Web site stores on your computer to provide customization features. For example, when you implement custom settings for MSN, that information is stored in a cookie file on your computer. MSN then reads the cookie each time you visit the site and displays the options you selected.

You can configure Internet Explorer to handle cookies in the following ways:

• Prevent cookies from being stored on your computer.

• Prompt you about whether to accept cookies from the site.

• Allow cookies to be stored on your computer without notifying you.

For more information, see Chapter 7 , "Security Zones and Permission-Based Security for Microsoft Virtual Machine."

Note Accepting a cookie does not give a Web site access to your computer or any personal information about you other than what you have specified in the customized settings for that site.

Profile Assistant

You can use Profile Assistant to securely share registration and demographic information with Web sites while maintaining your computer's privacy and safety. Profile Assistant supports the Internet privacy model defined by the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3), a W3C project. You can maintain your personal information in a user profile, which provides a secure, encrypted information store on your computer.

A Web site can request information from your profile, but the Web site is not allowed to access profile information unless you specifically give your consent. Because Profile Assistant complies with the Internet's P3 privacy standards, it can also work with other Internet programs and servers.

For information about how to write scripts to access Profile Assistant information, see the Microsoft Internet Client Software Development Kit, which is part of the MSDN Online Web site.

When a Web site requests information from your user profile, the Profile Assistant dialog box opens. You can use the information in the Profile Assistant dialog box to verify which Web site is making the request, choose which information (if any) to share, and understand how the Web site intends to use the information. The following table describes the information displayed in the Profile Assistant dialog box.

Web sites can request up to 31 different items of information from your user profile. For more information, see "Configuring Profile Assistant" later in this chapter.

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