It seems a routine publish event got a lot less routine and a lot more unruly. We expect to have things squared away quite soon… meanwhile, we suggest a lovely cup of coffee. :)

If you have a late-model web browser (e.g. Firefox 3, IE 6 or 7, Opera 3, Safari 2 or above) there’s probably nothing you need to do. Folks with OLDER BROWSERS that don’t support updated security standards may need to upgrade… or at least review the settings in their browsers. You’ll be able to shop our web site with any browser, but you won’t be able to sign-in, or to check-out unless your browser meets current PCI standards.

Over the jump, I’ve included instructions on how to upgrade the most commonly used browsers on our web site. Again, you’ll need to upgrade only if you’re unable to sign in, or checkout of our online store.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

To set your browser encryption rate,

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Open the Help menu on the toolbar and click About Internet Explorer.
3. Cipher strength (encryption rate) is listed in the About Internet Explorer window. If the cipher strength is less than 128 bit, update your browser at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx.

To set your browser SSL version,

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Open the Tools menu on the toolbar and click Internet Options.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the window.
5. Select the following options:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0
6. Click OK.

Netscape Navigator or Communicator (Versions before 8.0)

To set your browser encryption rate,

1. Open Netscape Navigator or Communicator.
2. Open the Help menu on the toolbar and click About Navigator (or About Communicator).
3. In the window that is displayed, locate the RSA security section. If this section reads, “This version supports U.S. security,” the browser supports 128-bit encryption. If the section indicates you have an export version, the browser supports only 40-bit encryption. (Further details are also available by clicking Security on the Navigator toolbar.)
4. If your cipher strength (encryption rate) is less than 128 bit, update your browser at http://browser.netscape.com/.
5. Please note that Netscape is no longer supported, and that Firefox would be a good upgrade path.

To set your browser SSL version,

1. Open Netscape Navigator or Communicator.
2. Open the Edit menu on the toolbar and click Preferences.
3. Click Privacy & Security.
4. Click SSL.
5. Select the following options:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0
6. Click Okay.

Also set browser encryption rates at the SSL screen as follows:

1. Click the Edit Ciphers button on the upper-right side of the SSL screen.
2. Select all options beginning with either 128-bit or 168-bit.

Netscape Version 8.0

Netscape Version 8.0 has 128-bit encryption. You do not need to update this setting.

To set your browser SSL version,

1. Open Netscape.
2. Open the Tools menu on the toolbar and click Options.
3. Click Advanced.
4. On the Advanced panel, scroll to the Security section. (If no subcategories are visible, click the plus sign to expand the list.)
5. Select the following options:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0
6. Click OK.

Firefox

To set your browser encryption rate,

1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Open the Help menu on the toolbar and click About Mozilla Firefox.
3. Verify that you have version 1.0 or later. If you have a version prior to 1.0, upgrade your browser athttp://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/?from=getfirefox.

To set your browser SSL version,

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Open the Tools menu on the toolbar and click Options.
3. Click Advanced.
4. On the Advanced panel, scroll to the Security section. (If no subcategories are visible, click the plus sign to expand the list.)
5. Select the following options:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0
6. 6. Click OK.

Opera

To set your browser encryption rate and SSL version,

1. Open Opera.
2. Open the Tools menu on the toolbar and click Preferences.
3. Click the Advanced tab.
4. Click Security on the left.
5. Click the Security Protocols button on the right.
6. Select the following options:
   • Use SSL 3.0
   • Use TLS 1.0

You can set your encryption rate (cipher strength) on the same screen in the Select ciphers to enable section.

1. Select all options for SSL3/TLS 1 that include 168 bit, 128 bit, and 256 bit.
2. Click OK.

You can download updates to Opera at http://www.opera.com/download.