Security Policy

The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to protecting the confidentiality and integrity of personal information you submit. Personal information submitted or collected through a Government web site will be used only for the purpose for which it was submitted or collected, or for the purposes permitted by law, unless you consent to other uses. The government only asks for the information which it reasonably requires to fulfill the purpose for which the information is being submitted. The Government of Saskatchewan uses encryption techniques to secure your financial information (including credit card information) as it is passed over the Internet. Encryption is the mathematical process of coding information into a more secure format for transmission over the Internet. After the information is encrypted, it is then passed through phone lines or cable, then decrypted or decoded once it reaches the intended recipient. Encryption helps decrease the risk of information being intercepted and read by another person.

To provide a strong level of security, all Government web sites where financial transactions are conducted have been configured to use secure online communication of credit card information through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, using 128-bit encryption. Credit card information will not be stored without the prior knowledge and consent of the terms and conditions of you, the Consumer. In the event that credit card information is stored, it will be stored securely in encrypted format with enhanced security controls.

To check your Internet browser encryption level:

• If you are using Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, select About Internet Explorer from the Help menu. The encryption level is stated as "Cipher Strength."
• If you are using Netscape Navigator® or Communicator®, select About Navigator or About Communicator from the Help menu. If you have a version that supports 40 bit encryption, you will see the following message:

  This version supports International security...

  If you have a version that supports 128 bit encryption you will see the following message:

  This version supports U.S. security...

If you are currently using an Internet browser version that supports 40-bit encryption, you will need to upgrade it. You may download a 128-bit Internet browser from www.microsoft.com or www.netscape.com.

Some Government web sites may require online payment via credit card for specific products or services. Before entering your credit card information, verify that you are in an encrypted secure session by checking to see if the status bar displays either a padlock or security key and that the address field displays the "S" in "HTTPS".

The Government web site deletes any information from its memory (cache) when you sign out of its system. However, under certain conditions, information may be recalled or viewed from your computer if the memory (cache) is not cleared. Therefore, the Government of Saskatchewan strongly recommends that the cache of the computer used to perform the transaction be cleared.

To clear the Internet browser cache on Microsoft® Internet Explorer®:

1. Click on the Tools menu
2. Select Internet Options
3. Click Delete Files
4. Confirm by clicking OK

To clear the Internet browser cache from within Netscape Navigator® or Communicator®:

1. Click on the Edit menu
2. Select Preferences
3. Under the Category list (on left side of the Preferences window), open the sub-menu for Advanced by clicking the + symbol
4. From the Advanced sub-menu, select Cache
5. Select Clear Memory Cache
6. Select Clear Disk Cache
7. Confirm by clicking OK

Government of Saskatchewan websites may create a small file on your computer, called a "cookie". Such files allow us to provide you with personalized information on your future visits to our websites; they are not used for any other purpose and will not contain any personal financial information.

Government of Saskatchewan computer systems used to process your financial transactions employ strong controls to ensure the security of Consumer information. Access controls, including but not limited to firewalls are used to protect internal systems from unauthorized external access through use of hardware and software from the Internet and our internal computer systems.