Updates to Security Upgrades That Will Affect API Users

On 17 April 2018, we will be making changes to our security settings for all web properties including our API and these changes may affect your ability to utilize our services. On this date, we will be disabling insecure protocols prior to TLS version 1.2 and upgrading our security certificates. If you do not update your client connectivity package to ensure it has support for the latest security protocols such as TLS 1.2 and 1.3 and includes support for updated top-level certificates, your connectivity to our servers may be impacted.

TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is a security connectivity standard developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force that helps minimize risk to information theft when that information is carried over insecure networks. This connectivity standard is implemented seamlessly behind the scenes in the client connectivity tools we use daily such as web browsers. Over time, as computing technologies become faster, certain aspects of these connectivity standards become less effective at protecting your information.

Vulnerabilities were found in previous versions of the protocol (TLS v1.0 and v1.1) and in older protocols such as SSL v3. These vulnerabilities led to an industry-wide decision to deprecate support for these older protocols. Further, The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards organization (PCIDSS) of which Birkman International maintains a compliance certification for mandates the removal of support for these insecure protocols.

You will need to enlist the help of your IT Department or group that works with the connectivity to Birkman International's API to determine the impact this change may have on your services.