How to Find Internet Explorer 7 Encryption

Encryption support is necessary to view secure websites.

In Internet Explorer and other web browsers, encryption is a feature that secures the information you send to a secure website--for example, your user name and password for an online bank account--by changing it to junk data that only the intended recipient can decode. The highest encryption strength that Internet Explorer 7 supports is 128 bit. If you are unable to view a secure website in Internet Explorer 7, you can find the encryption in your browser to confirm that it has the correct cipher strength.

Instructions

1. Right-click with the mouse pointer over an empty area of the toolbar at the top of the browser window, and then click "Menu Bar." If you can already see the classic menu at the top of the screen--File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools and Help--skip this step.

2. Click the "Help" drop-down on the right side of the Internet Explorer 7 classic menu.

3. Click "About Internet Explorer." A new window will open. Examine the data displayed after "Cipher Strength," below the version number. If the cipher strength displayed is "128-bit," the Internet Explorer 7 encryption level is correct.

Tips & Warnings

• The cipher strength displayed in Internet Explorer 7 should never be 0-bit or anything other than 128-bit. If you view the "About" screen in Internet Explorer 7, and the cipher strength is not 128-bit--and you are having difficulty browsing to secure websites--repair or reinstall the browser to resolve the issue.

References

• Charter: Internet Explorer 7.0
• Microsoft: Cipher Strength Appears as 0-bit in Internet Explorer

Resources

• Microsoft: Download Internet Explorer for Windows XP