	How important is a SECURE server and how do I know if I have one? When you send email and web information across the Internet, is it normally clear text, that is to say anyone whose chose to make the effort to intercept it, may be able to and could read it. (that is a felony violation of federal law, with SEVERE penalties). Assuming someone wanted to take the risk, you could further retard their felonious efforts by encrypting (scrambling) your transmission. When you use the web this can all be done automatically for you when you attach to a secure server.  Depending on your browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, etc) you should see a gold colored padlock on the bottom of the window.   What if I don't see a padlock, does that mean it's not secure? Not necessarily. If a web page uses frames, a secure window may be displayed without adding the secure icon in the status bar. To determine if the page is secure, right click in the frame next to where you are entering your credit card number and select (left-click) properties from the short-cut menu. You will see a property page which describes the protocol. If is says HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy, you can click on the Certificate button and get information about who owns and operates the server from there. If it says this document doesn't have a certificate, the transaction isn't secure.	

