Security Statement

The security of your private information is one of our highest priorities at CyberGrants. We are employing all of the same technological measures as your favorite online store, bank, or trading site. When you access secured areas of the CyberGrants website such as the GrantMakers’ database or Apply OnLine, our security systems automatically protect your communications through server authentication and data encryption.

The system we use is called Secure Sockets Layer (or SSL for short) and is the industry standard in web security. There are three main goals associated with SSL: Encryption, which guards against eavesdropping; Data Integrity, which assures that your information was not tampered with during transmission; and Authentication, which verifies that the party that is receiving your communication is who they claim to be. With SSL and 128 bit encryption, there are literally trillions of combinations that someone would have to go through to tamper with your data, an accomplishment that no one has been able to stoop to yet.

What proof do you have that your data is secure at CyberGrants? Plenty. Occasionally your browser will display a security alert as you enter or exit secure zones on our site. This is normal and you should choose to continue in both cases. You may also look up at the address line or URL in your browser’s window. An “s” appended to the familiar “http” indicates that you are in an area where SSL is being used. Depending on your browser, you may also notice that a closed padlock appears in the status bar when you have entered a secure mode.

While we are doing all that we can to safeguard the transmission of your data, you should also take your own precautions. The most effective way to protect yourself is through effective password management. In plain English, this means DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD either intentionally or unintentionally. Never write your password down where someone else may find it. Change your password often and make sure that you do not use common words. Avoid obvious passwords such as your last name or phone number. Instead, opt for combinations of numbers and letters such as your birthday combined with your pet’s name or your street name plus the jersey number of your favorite athlete.