Security Statement

This statement has been designed to help you understand the security measures Goodwyn Institutional Review Board, Ltd. has taken to protect the information you send us via the Internet. Our Privacy Statement explains what information is gathered and how it is used.

Content:

Does Goodwyn IRB protect my sensitive information?
What is encryption?
How do I know when a web site is secure?
Which parts of the Goodwyn IRB web site are secure?
Is there anything I can do to help strengthen security?
Sometimes I get a security warning message. What is this, and why do I get it?
For more information

Does Goodwyn IRB protect my sensitive information?

Yes, Goodwyn IRB has implemented many levels of security to protect the information you share with us. We have implemented industry standards and Goodwyn IRB-specific measures to protect your sensitive information. In certain areas of our web site a secure connection between your browser and our site is established. This is done using encryption technology. We've also implemented steps to help verify a user's identity before processing certain types of requests from that user.

What is encryption?

Encryption is a security technique used to protect information by making it unreadable during transmission. Goodwyn IRB uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, which is the current industry standard for encryption. SSL works with secure browsers, like Netscape (version 2.0 or greater), Internet Explorer (version 2.1 or greater) and the latest version of America On-Line (AOL). By using SSL, information is scrambled before it leaves your browser and is unscrambled when it reaches our site. Should someone intercept the transmission it will be unreadable and will be extremely difficult for them to translate into a readable message.

Once transmitted, every single file is stored on an encrypted 256-bit level proprietary code cipher created by Montgomery Technology, Inc. This means that no information files can be viewed by any party without the necessary authority and decryption logic in place.

The combined use of SSL and this cipher propels our web presence into the top 20% of secure web servers / hosted servers in existence today.

How do I know when a web site is secure?

To verify if the page you are viewing is indeed being encrypted for your privacy, reference the bottom right or left corners of your web browser and look for one of the following items.

•  Blue Key
  
•  Closed Lock
  
•  Looped Solid Links of a Chain

Placing your mouse over one of the above icons will detail the security encryption being used for your web visit.

Note: Goodwyn IRB General Public Areas are displayed without SSL encryption since no web visitor interaction exists in this area.

Which parts of the Goodwyn IRB web site are secure?

Most of the information on the Goodwyn IRB web site is public and accessible by everyone. Consequently an "insecure" mode is appropriate for those areas. However, the Goodwyn IRB secure forms and user interaction areas to collect information must be secured. Before accessing such information the guest must provide unique identifiers. Personal information and identifiers should be protected and therefore, we activate SSL when this information is passed.

Is there anything I can do help strengthen security?

Absolutely. Below are a few easy suggestions that will help protect information:

• Before sending sensitive information always verify that security is activated, as explained under How do I know when a web site is secure?. If the area is not secure, don't send the information.
• Pick unique identifiers that are easy for you to remember (without writing down) and difficult for others to guess. Avoid the obvious, like your name, address, phone number, account number. Also avoid sequential series, like 1234 or abc or xyz. Use at least six characters, try to use a combination of letters and numbers, for example g0wattz (zero instead of "o" and "z" instead of "s") or smi1ez (one instead of "l" and "z" instead of "s").

• Keep your unique identifiers private, don't share them with others and change them if you think that they may have been compromised.
• If someone calls you, representing him/herself as a Goodwyn IRB employee, and asks for your unique identifiers don't tell them. Instead, contact us immediately at 1-513-793-8900.

Sometimes I get a security-warning message. What is this and why do I get it?

A message or box, such as those below, may appear when visitors enter secure pages. This is normal and is controlled by the security settings on your browser. A similar warning may appear when leaving a secured part of the site and before entering a section that does not have security activated.

For more information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Statement, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this web site, you can:

• Send e-mail to protection@GoodwynIRB.com
  
• Or, if you prefer, send mail to the following postal address:
  
  Information Protection
  Goodwyn IRB
  9380 Main Street
  Cincinnati, OH 45242