Data security over the internet

Our firm just set up a 128-bit SSL encrypted extranet to store and transmit data. We have a personal and legal commitment to ensure that our clients' data is secure and protected.

I'm sharing this with you because it was just this past summer that I learned that sensitive information in emails, and even attachments to emails, can be stolen as the email passes through the internet. As I understand it, programmers in foreign countries write programs that search email for this data and can extract it when found.

Accordingly, you should never, never include your social security number, bank account info, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. in the body of an email or in an attachment, unless that data is encrypted. When we exchange this type of data with our clients, like a PDF of their tax return, we send them a encrypted link so they can upload and/or download securely.