Encryption—how it works

What is it?

QuickBooks Online uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology to help ensure the security of your financial data. SSL is a technology developed for the Internet to protect your personal information from being stolen or misused while traveling over the Internet.

How does it work?

SSL uses a method called encryption to turn all of your information into a unique code before it travels through the Internet. Every time you login to QuickBooks Online, your computer talks with Intuit's web servers and agrees on a key to decipher the code. All of your information — your password, your financial data, and any transactions you conduct while you are online — is essentially 'locked' and without that key, cannot be deciphered by anyone.

Who uses SSL?

Virtually every major institution that conducts financial transactions over the Internet uses SSL technology to protect their customers' personal information. Without it, they put their customers and their business unnecessarily at risk. SSL has become the standard in online services. Major companies in online banking, trading, and retail industries all use SSL technology. If you've ever purchased anything over the Internet, it's likely that SSL technology protected your information.