Website Security

WAEPA Website Security and Browser Warning Messages

WAEPA protects the privacy and confidentiality of member information by encrypting all data that is entered into the online forms.

This is accomplished by using the industry standard SSL (Secure Socket Layer), and setting up a protected area (secure.waepa.org) on the WAEPA website.

It's easy to tell when the web site you are viewing is using an encrypted connection. If the connection is encrypted, the lock icon in the lower-right corner of the Browser/Navigator window is locked. If the connection is not encrypted, the lock icon is unlocked. You can also look at the browser URL Address line and check that the URL starts with https: (as opposed to the normal http: (note the "s" at the end indicating "Secure"), for example https://secure.waepa.org vs. http://www.waepa.org)

Because the WAEPA forms are in an area with a higher level of protection (and using encryption), web browsers may (depending on their security settings), display various warning and security messages. These messages may have wording similar to ...SSL certificate not from a trusted source... (you can view the certificate to see that it lists WAEPA's name if you want), or you might get a message saying something like ...This page contains both secure and non-secure information, Do you want to display the non-secure information... (just say yes, it is refering to the WAEPA logo image that is pulled from the public site and required for the creation of the PDF version of the form with your data in it).

It is normally advised to click OK or Yes when you see these messages on the WAEPA site. If you have additional questions or concerns please contact WAEPA.

Additional Resources for information about web security:
   - SSL.com - How can I tell if a web page is secure?
   - Wikipedia - Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
   - Wikipedia - Authorization certificate
   - Wikipedia - HTTPS
   - CrystalTech - CTssl (WAEPA uses this)