Security, electronic exchanges and protection of confidentiality...

Should you choose to communicate electronically through the "Contact" section of the present site, we do not assume any liability whatsoever regarding the Internet's inherent risks, including the potential or actual interception of electronic exchanges by any unauthorized third party.

You have probably noticed that when you access certain Web sites, such as that of a financial institution, a small icon such as a key, a lock or a keyhole appears on your browser's status bar, while the address bar changes from the usual "http://" to "https://", which is meant to indicate that the site is "secure", i.e. that it utilizes communication protocols and "digital certificates" to guarantee its authenticity and the security of transactions made on it.

The equivalent exists for e-mail, where the digital certificate constitutes an electronic I.D., the purpose of which is to allow people and businesses to communicate by e-mail while assuring themselves of their respective identities and of the confidentiality of their exchanges, to prevent imposture and the reading or alteration of their data by third parties. Interestingly, several specialists consider this mode of communication just as safe as the personal delivery of a sealed envelope, although others will tell you that nothing is absolutely certain in such matters.

On the other hand, an e-mail transmitted by someone who does not use a digital certificate amounts to sending a postcard, in that it is relatively easy for a third party to read or modify it. Furthermore, it is quite possible that the e-mail which you sent several weeks ago and that you and your correspondent have deleted from your respective computers is still present on your Internet service providers' servers, or in their backups. Also, there are special computer programs which allow to circumvent deletion in certain circumstances and recuperate data - see our article number 30 about a case where the court allowed an employer to use such a program to successfully recuperate "deleted" files from an ex-employee's computer.

Thus, if you do not use a special deletion program in addition to the one bundled with your general application software (Windows, Mac, etc.), your "deletion" does not necessarily delete...

If you wish to exchange e-mail in the most secure manner generally available, you must obtain a digital certificate from a certification authority such as Verisign, which for a modest annual fee will provide you with all you need, including an installation and a utilization guide. You may also obtain such a certificate through other software, such as Microsoft Outlook. Essentially, secure e-mail operates through sophisticated passwords, known as "public keys" and "private keys", the utilization of which is strongly recommended to protect the exchange of confidential information.

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