What is "standard" vs. "secure" mode?

Secure mode provides you with extra protection for your password transmission using SSL technology. However, secure mode tends to be slower.

Many websites give you the option of encrypting your sign-in information by using "secure mode." When you sign in using secure mode, you are using industry-standard SSL encryption, a technology created for managing the security of message transmissions on the internet that protects the data you transmit. While secure mode provides SSL encryption, pages will take longer to download. Most users choose to sign in using standard mode for a quicker response time.

If you receive browser warnings when going from secure mode pages to non-SSL sites, it is most likely a warning that you are switching servers. As long as your data is entered on a secure mode page, it will only be transmitted to a SSL server.

Secure mode is not supported by all browsers. You may need to download the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator or upgrade your browser to take advantage of secure sign-in.