Security

• Security tips
• The CRA
• Your part
• Browsers
• What does 128-bit SSL encryption really mean?
• Confidentiality

Security requires a partnership between two parties - in this case, you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Security tips

Here are some tips to ensure that your corporation tax return remains confidential:

• Keep your Web Access Code or EFILE On-Line number and password secret! Your Corporation Internet Filing account can only be accessed with your Web Access Code or EFILE On-Line number and password.
• If you leave your computer on after completing activities in a secure area of the site, clear the cache. You should also turn off and restart the browser to eliminate copies of Web pages that may have been stored on your computer's hard drive.
• Never send confidential information such as your Business Number, Web Access Code, or EFILE On-Line number and password, via Internet email. Our Internet email does not have secure transmission capabilities.

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The CRA

The CRA is responsible for providing security at our Corporation Internet Filing Web site and guarantees that your corporation information is stored securely on our computers.

We're also responsible for ensuring that your corporation information is transmitted in an encrypted format between your computer and our Web servers. This ensures that computer hackers and other Internet users can't alter or view data being transmitted between you and us.

We use sophisticated security techniques to protect this Web site. State-of-the-art encryption technology and security procedures protect your corporation information at all times. While every possible effort has been made to ensure the safety and integrity of transactions at our Web site, the Internet exists as a public network and therefore is outside our control.

Your part

You'll need to give us three pieces of identification to access our confidential site and services. These three pieces of identification make up your electronic signature. Make sure that you keep each piece of your identification confidential, so that others may not use your electronic signature.

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Browsers

You have to use approved security protocols to access our site. Although some sites will allow you access with 40-bit encryption, we limit access to browsers supporting 128-bit secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption. For more information, see the Browser security Web page.

After you complete a secure transaction, you should clear your browser cache or shut down and restart your browser. Information stored in the browser cache isn't encrypted, so clearing it helps to ensure that your information won't be compromised by others.

• If you are using Netscape Navigator, clear both your browser's disc cache and memory cache.
• If you are using Internet Explorer, clear your browser's disc cache, then shut down and restart your browser.

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What does 128-bit SSL encryption really mean?

Secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol enhances the privacy of the information passing between your browser and our Web servers. SSL protocol provides a safe passage for transmitting data and authentication processes by encrypting the information. Data can't be compromised when SSL is in use. This is the most secure form of encryption commonly available in North America.

In simple terms, your income tax information is broken down into small separate packets of information, and SSL encrypts each packet. These encrypted packets are sent into the Internet individually, like pieces of a puzzle, each individually addressed. Once they've all reached the safety of our secure Web server, they're reassembled and decrypted.

This is a typical requirement for Web-based services, such as online banking or shopping, where securing personal information is a priority. When you access our Corporation Internet Filing transmission page, our server will verify your browser's encryption capability and that your session cookie is set. No other information will be accessed.

Confidentiality