Privacy and Security

What will happen to my personal information?
Nothing! The personal information you provide is only used to process your order. We understand that you are placing your trust with us, and we NEVER share information with third parties. We treat this information as strictly confidential to protect your privacy.

What kind of security/encryption is used?
Orders for Emperor's Bonsai are processed by CCNOW.com!
The site utilizes fail-safe security. There are two main forms of technological security. The first is SSL protocol (works with both Netscape and Internet Explorer). SSL functions in two ways: The first is designed to provide security between two communicating applications (client and server). Second, the SSL is set up to authenticate the server, and optionally the client. An advantage to using SSL protocols, is that it is application protocol (i.e. FTP, TELNET, HTTP, etc.) can layer on top as well as verify a server before the SSL transmits or receives its first byte of data. All the application information data is transmitted encrypted, which ensure privacy.

Basically, the SSL provides a 'secure channel' for transmitting information which has three basic properties:

• The channel is private. Encryption is used for all messages after a simple handshake is used to define a secret key (keeping eavesdroppers out).
• Channels are authenticated. The endpoint server of the transmission is always authenticated. The endpoint server of the transmission is always authenticated. (Keeping impostors out of the loop). Channels are completely reliable, including a message integrity check.

In conjunction with SSL protocol security, a PGP program is utilized between the host server and our order department. PGP's are programs that allow two parties to communicate messages in a way which does not allow a third party to read them, and certify that the persons who send and receives the message are who they claim to be. So you can feel very secure placing an order via our site!

How Safe is it so send orders over the Internet?
New York Times Journalist Peter Lewis sums it up succinctly: "Sending a credit card number to an electronic merchant over the Internet is probably the safest way to make such a transaction.. Compared with the risk of handing my credit card to a stranger, which I do nearly every day, sending it over the internet is pretty secure."