Document Title

Topic Links:
Internet Security – SSL – Compliant Browsers
Download a compliant browser
America Online Users
Microsoft Internet Explorer Users
About Cookies

Internet Security – SSL

The log-on and functioning pages of Bank OnLine, Bill Pay and the American Bank’s Electronic Banking Agreement and Registration are secured through the use of SSL using 128-bit encryption. SSL or Secure Sockets Layer is a standard secure way to encrypt information so that only the sender and receiver can decipher it. SSL also prevents others from making changes to the information without notifying the sender.

For the maximum security of your personal information and your accounts our SSL pages require the use of Microsoft Internet Explorer (4 or 5) or Netscape Navigator (4.08 or 4.73) with 128-bit encryption.

How can I tell that my connection is secure?

Many times your browser will notify you with a pop-up screen, a locked icon on the browser page and/or display a secure https:// address when you are entering into a secure connection. However, because American Bank’s Web site uses frame technology, you are actually viewing a page within a page, and therefore your browser may not recognize that you have entered into a secure area when you go to Bank OnLine, Bill Pay or to the Electronic Banking Registration page.

Here is the way to check if the pages (frames) you are entering are secure:

In Microsoft Internet Explorer you can right click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) anywhere in the frame that you want to check. (For example, you would click on the bottom part of a page where you would sign on to use Bank OnLine, and not the top of the page where the American Bank logo and tabs are displayed.) A pop-up box will appear and you should select Properties from the menu. Another pop-up box will appear showing you whether or not the page is encrypted for security.

In Netscape Navigator you can right click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac) anywhere in the frame that you want to check. A pop-up box will appear and you should select View Frame from the menu. Another pop-up box will appear showing you whether or not the page is encrypted for security.

The pop-up boxes display information about the document, the level and type of security in effect for that document, and the secure server’s Certificate, as well as information about the Certificate Authority. You should be looking for a 128-bit encryption for the greatest level of security. If this does not appear, then do not try to use Bank OnLine, Bill Pay or Electronic Registration and call American Bank Cash Management at 361-992-9900 for help with installing a compliant browser with the right settings.

Why do I need SSL?

We have chosen to implement the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) capabilities of our server in order to provide you with the highest level of security available on the Web today. SSL insures that you are getting your information directly from us, keeps all of the information that is transmitted between us completely confidential as it makes its way across the net, and prevents the theft of this information while it is in transit.

Which SSL-compliant browsers are supported for use with Internet Banking?

The following browsers have SSL functionality and are supported:

Netscape Navigator, 4 and above.
Microsoft Internet Explorer, 4.01 and above.
AOL for Windows refer to Help for AOL Users for more information.

The following browsers are reported to have SSL functionality, but we have not tested them, nor are they supported. If you have any problems connecting to our web site or Internet Banking while using any of these web browsers, please install a copy of one of the supported browsers (listed above) before getting help from American Bank.

IBM Secure WebExplorer 1.1 for OS/2
Delrina Cyberjack Web 7.0

Prodigy Web Browser 1.4b

InternetMCI

Quarterdeck Mosaic 2.0

Wollongong says that Emissary 1.1 supports SSL, but SSL is disabled in the downloadable demo version.

There is reportedly a set of source code patches that enables the use of SSL in some versions of NCSA Mosaic.

NOTE: It has been reported that some browsers have the capability to remember usernames and passwords between sessions. Be aware that, in practice, this is not a good idea since anyone could feasibly take advantage of an unattended terminal to log in to a secure site with a previously saved password.

What is SSL (long answer)?

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) provides advanced security for network transactions. SSL provides these three basic types of security:

Server Authentication
Privacy Using Encryption
Data Integrity

You must use an SSL capable WWW browser in order to access information on a secure server which uses SSL encryption and authentication. We have implemented a secure server employing SSL in order to provide a high level of security and authentication for the information that is available here for our customers.

	Authentication When an SSL connection is established and the signals of a secure transaction are visible, you can trust that you are, in fact, connected to the server you have specified in the target URL.
	Encryption By using SSL we can provide a secure connection between your browser and our server. Using standard HTTP, information that is transmitted between the client (browser) and web server is not encrypted. For this reason it is possible that at some point while the information is traveling between the client and the server, this information could be viewed by an unauthorized party. Because of such snooping, there exists the potential for passwords and other valuable confidential information to be misappropriated.
	Data Integrity A secure connection using SSL insures that the data that you receive from a secure HTTP server is identical to the data that was sent to you by the server. It might seem obvious that that should be the case, but a message traveling across the Internet must pass through many different computers on its way from one place to another. At any of these points the potential for someone to compromise the data, maliciously or otherwise, is present. SSL provides a means to verify that the data received by the browser is the exact same data that was sent by the secure server.

Why do I need SSL (long answer)?

Our use of SSL provides the following benefits to our customers:

Confidentiality
Assurance that all of the information that you send us via this secure channel is completely confidential. This includes all information pertaining to your American Bank account numbers and passwords, and any information that you request of American Bank regarding the status of your account.

Authenticity
Assurance that any and all information that you receive from this site is actually from American Bank, and as up to date and correct as possible.

It is not difficult for information to be replicated or mirrored by anyone on the Internet. Should you receive your account information from a site other than this one, there exists the potential that that information will be out of date or in some other way incomplete or erroneous. American Bank has taken steps to insure that you are getting the information that you need directly from your account records at American Bank and nowhere else as long as you are sure to point your browser at our secure HTTP server.

Download a SSL Compliant Browser

To install Microsoft Internet Explorer with 128-bit encryption for Windows is a two-step process:

Note: If you already have Internet Explorer 4 or 5 you can go directly to Step 2 to upgrade for 128-bit encryption.

To install Microsoft Internet Explorer with 128-bit encryption for Macintosh is a one-step process:

Download the current version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (128 bit)

To install Netscape Navigator 4.73 with 128-bit encryption is a one step process for Windows or Macintosh:

Download the current version of Netscape Communicator - includes Navigator with 128-bit strong encryption for Windows or Macintosh

How to Download Microsoft Internet Explorer - AOL Users

Go to the Microsoft Internet Explorer download page.
Select the version of MSIE (version 4.01 or higher) you want to download.
Select the "Download" button.
Select your operating system, then select "Next" button.
Select the desired language version of Internet Explorer and click "Next".
Select one of the available download file locations. This will start the download. Note the name of the file being downloaded.
When you are finished downloading, close your current browser and disconnect from AOL.
Find the file that you just downloaded and double click on it.
Follow the instructions to install Internet Explorer making sure NOT to install IE into the same directory as AOL.
When the install is finished, log back on to AOL.
When the AOL Main Menu appears, minimize the AOL program and run Internet Explorer.
You can now reconnect to American Bank.

How to Download Netscape Navigator - AOL Users

Go to the Netscape Navigator download page.
Select the version of Netscape Navigator (4.0 or higher) you want to download. Navigate to the appropriate download page.
On the download page select your operating system from the menu.
Select your desired language.
Select the strong U.S./Canada-only encryption checkbox.
Review the Netscape options.
Select the "Download" button.
When you have finished downloading, close your current browser and disconnect from AOL.
Find the file you have just downloaded, it starts with n32 or n16, and double click it.
Follow the instructions for the install making sure NOT to install Navigator into the same directory as AOL.
When the install is finished, log back on to AOL.
When the AOL Main Menu appears, minimize the AOL program and run Netscape Navigator.
You can now reconnect to American Bank.

America Online Users

If you connect to the World Wide Web from AOL and are unable to access Internet Banking, this help may provide a solution.

You may experience problems with Internet Banking if you are using the default AOL browser (or a prior version) to access this site. This version of the browser does not include full support for JavaScript (a programming language used extensively by this site).

The easiest solution to this problem is to upgrade your browser to a version that supports JavaScript. Follow the instructions provided below.

Windows 95, 98 or Windows NT Users

If you are currently using AOL version software, skip to Step 8.
Connect to AOL using your current software.
When connected, select the "Keyword" button at the top of the screen.
Type "upgrade" into the window and press "Enter."
Select the "AOL 3.0 for Windows 95" button.
Select "Upgrade Now" from the left.
Follow the download instructions in the left-hand window.
When you have AOL 3.0 installed, log back into AOL.
Once the main menu screen appears, minimize the AOL program and double click on the Internet Explorer Shortcut on your desktop. (Or go to the Start Menu and select Programs, Internet Tools, Internet Explorer.)
You can now reconnect to American Bank.

Windows 3.x Users

If you are currently using AOL version 3.0 software, skip to Step 8.
Connect to AOL using your current software.
When connected, select the "Keyword" button at the top of the screen.
Type "upgrade" into the window and press "Enter."
Select the "AOL 3.0 for Windows 3x" button.
Select "Upgrade Now" from the left.
Follow the download instructions in the left-hand window.
When you have AOL 3.0 installed, log back into AOL.
Once the Main Menu screen appears, minimize the AOL program, open the Internet Explorer program group and double click on Internet Explorer.
You can now reconnect to American Bank.

If you are still experiencing problems connecting to Internet Banking, download either the current full version of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer by following the instructions below.

Before downloading either of these full browsers you should upgrade to the current version of AOL by following steps 1 through 10 above.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Users

If you are a Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) user, you may have noticed that when you click on a link to a file that you wish to download, sometimes, instead of downloading the file, it is displayed in your browser. This is because MSIE is designed to automatically display files that are not known to it and appear to be text. A file is 'known' to MSIE by setting up an association between the file's extension and a program in either the File Manager or MSIE. Netscape's browsers do the exact opposite and automatically save unknown files.

Saving Account Statements

Internet Banking gives you the option of downloading your account statement in a number of formats, none of which are known to MSIE by default. In order to have these statement files saved instead of displayed within the browser, you will need to perform the following steps. Instead of 'left clicking' on the statement file link, you will need to 'right click' on it. This will display a floating menu. From this menu, select 'Save Target As'. You will then be given the opportunity to change the file's name or destination. When ready to save the file, click 'Save'.

About Cookies

Bank OnLine and Bill Pay use cookies to remember who you are after you have successfully logged in. If your browser is set up to not allow the saving of cookies, you will not be able to log in.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your web browser from a web server. This data is never "executed" as code, so it can't contain programs or viruses, and can't be longer than 4,000 characters. Cookies are generally used to help web sites determine the state of your "client."

Why does Bank OnLine use Cookies?

We use cookies to help identify you to the system during a logged in session. The cookie is used, as part of system security, to ensure you are the only one with access to your current session. We do not store your Access Code, User Id or Password as part of the cookie. We also want to make it clear that we do not distribute your cookie information to other organizations. No other sites outside this one can access this cookie. After you successfully log into the system, you are assigned a number of unique strings of numbers. It is these strings of numbers that are written to your system as the cookie. These strings of numbers identify you to the system while you are logged in. Each time you log into the system, it checks to see if this cookie is there. If it is missing you are given a new string of numbers. These numbers are not stored on our web server or tracked by us.

What about Security?

A cookie cannot be used to extract data from your system. When a cookie is set, your browser checks it for length, an expiration date, and the domain from which it came. This domain checking means that only this site can access your Internet Banking cookie. We do not distribute your cookie or account information to other companies and as stated before, we do not store your Access Code, User ID or Password in your cookie.