Electronic Reporting to FINTRAC

Browser requirements

To use F2R, your browser has to be set to accept cookies. A cookie is a small text file placed on your computer by the F2R website.

Also, to ensure that you can successfully access F2R securely and confidentially, you must be using a browser that supports 128-bit secure socket layer communications.

What if you do not upgrade your browser?

When you log on to F2R, our servers will perform an encryption check to verify that the browser you are using meets this security requirement. Depending on the version of the browser you are using, you may encounter the following problem:

• Root certificate expired
  If your browser fails the encryption test, you will be redirected to the Browser set-up section, where you will be directed to Web sites for popular browser programs. It is your responsibility to download and install the necessary browser software. Without a secure browser installed, you will not be able to access F2R.

  If your browser passes the encryption check, you will be able to access F2R.

Tested browsers

Although other web browsers may also function, we have tested the Microsoft Internet Explorer® 128-bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption and it was proven to work with F2R.

Browser set-up

When you are in a secure Web site, a lock symbol appears at the bottom right of your screen. This shows that data is being encrypted.

To determine what level of encryption your version of the software provides, you have to check the properties function of your browser. At the top of your browser screen, click under the "Help" column, then select "About Internet Explorer." This screen will tell you the version of browser you are using and the level of security you have. If this screen doesn't indicate 128-bit encryption, you should upgrade your browser.

Links to browser Web sites

Remember that you may not have to download the complete browser package, but rather upgrade it, which will take much less time. Below we list the easiest places to get these upgrades:

1. Go to the Microsoft® Web site.
2. Select the newest version of "Internet Explorer" that automatically comes with 128-bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption.
3. Install the software following Microsoft's instructions. (Note, this can take several hours)
    

Possible Browser Issues

Depending on the version of your browser, you may encounter the following problems:

• Page not fully displayed when using I.E. 6.0
  Note that Microsoft Internet Explorer 6® is supported only if Service Pack 1 has been installed and https://www6.fintrac.gc.ca for F2R or https://www2.fintrac.gc.ca for batch has been added to your list of Trusted sites. To learn how to do this, consult our IE 6.0 setup page.
   
• Obtaining a "HTTP error 401" when submitting a report and using I.E. 6.0
  If you have downloaded and installed the new Microsoft Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer (KB828750), you will receive the "HTTP error 401" message upon hitting submit.  Please note that after a few seconds your report will be processed and you will receive notification. If notification does not occur, please contact us at 1-866-346-8722 (select option 3).
   
• Windows Character Encoding
  In order for FINTRAC reporting web pages to display properly, Western European Windows character encoding must be selected. To change your character setting click on View from the menu bar, then select Encoding and then Western European (Windows).
   

Additional information relating to set-up

The computer you use may be vulnerable to viruses and other forms of malicious code including worms, Trojan horses, keystroke grabbers, spyware, or online attacks that seek to intercept sensitive information that you provide through the Internet. To reduce the chances of harm, you should ensure that any computer you use to access F2R has up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, a firewall, an intrusion detection and/or intrusion prevention system, or other security safeguards, as appropriate.

Once you have finished using F2R, FINTRAC suggests that you clear your browser cache. Information stored in the browser cache is not encrypted, and could be compromised by others. FINTRAC recommends that all users exit F2R using the "Log Off" link and close their browser after logging off.

To help protect against unauthorized access to an F2R secure session, FINTRAC has designed the session to automatically terminate through a timed logout. This will occur automatically after 20 minutes of inactivity in an F2R session. However, any information entered during that session in a report will be automatically saved and available in a future session from the incomplete report queue.