Web Privacy

In accordance with Executive Order 51 (1999) and Code of Virginia § 2.1-380, the Board of Accountancy (BOA) has established the following Internet and Website Privacy Policy. It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Board of Accountancy that personal information about citizens who use this site will be collected only to the extent necessary to provide the service or benefit desired; that only appropriate information be collected; that the citizen shall understand the reason the information is collected, and be able to examine their personal record that is maintained by a public body.

The BOA Website:

• Collects no personal information;
• Does not place a 'cookie' on your computer; and
• Does not require you provide any personal information to download forms made available for your use.

The security of your information is a high priority. The Virginia Board of Accountancy uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) as the encryption protocol for all transactions involving personal information on this web site. The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol has become the universal standard on the Web for authenticating sites and for encrypting communications between users and Web servers.

An encrypted SSL connection requires all information sent between a client and a server to be encrypted by the sending software and decrypted by the receiving software, protecting private information from interception over the Internet. In addition, all data sent over an encrypted SSL connection is protected with a mechanism for detecting tampering — that is, for automatically determining whether the data has been altered in transit. This means that users can confidently send private data, such as personal information, to a Web site, trusting that SSL keeps it private and confidential.

SSL server authentication allows users to confirm a Web server's identity. SSL-enabled client software, such as a Web browser, can automatically check that a server's certificate and public ID are valid and have been issued by a certificate authority (CA) listed in the client software's list of trusted CAs. SSL server authentication is vital for secure e-commerce transactions in which users, for example, are sending personal information over the Web and first want to verify the receiving server's identity.