Disclaimer

By visiting Doctors of BC online at www.doctorsofbc.ca, you are accepting the practices described in our privacy policy. 
Doctors of BC reserves the right to change this policy at any time. Our privacy policy will be kept up to date and posted on our website.

Doctors of BC has links to other websites that are not under its control. Doctors of BC is not responsible for the contents of any linked website any link contained in a linked website, or any changes or updates to such websites. The inclusion of any link does not mean that Doctors of BC endorses that website

Please be aware that Doctors of BC is not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites that we link to. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of every website that requests personal information from you.

In addition, it is important to protect confidential information on your personal computer. The Doctors of BC website is in a protected environment that meets the highest Internet security standards. While we take strong measures to ensure the security of your financial transactions and the confidentiality of your information, it is extremely important that you also take precautions. We advise members to follow these safe computing practices:

Protect Your Privacy

• Use caution before answering any online requests from the Doctors of BC for your personal information and report anything suspicious to the Doctors of BC.
• Doctors of BC will never present you with unexpected web pages, send you unsolicited emails asking for your confidential information, such as your password, PIN, Access Code, credit card, account number, or ask you to validate or restore your account access.

Protect your Doctors of BC Password

• Memorize your Doctors of BC password and never share it with any other person or company. If you suspect it has been compromised, please change it immediately.
• Select a password that is difficult to guess by using a combination of letters and numbers.
• If you suspect your password has been compromised, please change it immediately.
• Never send confidential information (such as account numbers of any type, password, etc.) via email.
• Avoid using software that records your passwords so you do not need to enter them the next time you access a website, especially if several people use the same computer.
• Avoid accidentally agreeing to have your Internet activity monitored by other parties by carefully reading the terms of any software you intend to download and free services you accept online.
• Always type the website address (www.doctorsofbc.ca) into your browser or use your bookmarked ‘Favorites’ to access the Doctors of BC Website.
• Do not leave your computer unattended while logged on to the Doctors of BC Website and log off when you have finished your session.
• Clear your browser's cache after each Doctors of BC session to safeguard your information. Each time you access the Internet, your browser automatically saves a copy of the web pages you've visited.
• Do not use public computers (e.g., Internet cafés or libraries) to access Doctors of BC as they could have viruses or malicious programs that record your keystrokes, or capture usernames and passwords.
• Review your online account transaction details promptly and report any discrepancies to Doctors of BC immediately.

Use Anti-Virus Software

• Computer viruses can modify programs, delete files and erase the contents of hard drives. "Trojan Horses" can capture keystrokes, including passwords or other secret information, while spyware can conduct certain activities on your computer without your knowledge or consent.
• We advise you to follow these practices to avoid getting viruses on your computer:
  • Install and frequently update a proven anti-virus product.
  • Only accept or download software from a trusted source.
  • Never accept files or attachments unless you are sure of their authenticity.
  • Use a legally licensed operating system.
• Carefully read the terms of any free services or software before you accept or download them. Do not consent to having all of your Internet browsing activity monitored as the service provider may be able to collect highly personal information such as your bank account and credit card numbers and passwords.

Protect Your Internet Connection

• Those with cable modem or digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet connections are particularly vulnerable, as they do not require dialing into the Internet and are described as always on connections. This allows malicious parties a continuous window of opportunity for attacking the user's personal computer.
• You can limit this security risk by disconnecting from the Internet when your session is complete, or by turning off the cable or DSL modem. If you want to continue to take advantage of the always on feature, the following security measures can be taken:
  • Use Windows Help to find out how to disable file sharing and prevent other computers accessing your personal computer If you choose to retain this option, exercise due care and apply appropriate security measures.
  • Install and frequently update a personal firewall.
  • Get computer security updates and ensure that you are using a legally licensed operating system.
• If you have a wireless network, there are additional measures that should be taken to protect your Internet connection:
  • Enable the highest level of encryption available for your router.
  • Change the default administrator password provided by the wireless manufacturers.
  • Change the name of your wireless network, the SSID (Service Set Identifier) to something that will not be easily guessed and has no direct connection to you or where you are located (e.g. not your last name or street address).
  • Switch off SSID broadcasting to hide your network from outsiders.

Use Supported Browsers

• Encryption is the process of protecting information as it moves from one computer to another so that it is unreadable to everyone except the receiver. The stronger the level of encryption used by your web browser, the more difficult it is for unauthorized parties to break the encryption and decipher the message in transit.
• The Doctors of BC website is fully tested before supporting new browser versions. When accessing the site, you are required to use a browser with 128-bit encryption.