Griotbook.com:Family Historian

Over the many centuries, much of our family's history has been lost or tampered with. Griots, the keepers of their village's history, were in charge of making sure that the information was passed down from generation to generation as accurately as possible. They also made sure that the information didn't get into the wrong hands for the most part.

We often reference Shaka Zulu, a great Zulu king and conqueror. Eyewitness accounts of who he was may be balanced by the rich resource of oral histories collected around 1900 from the villagers who kept the story of King Shaka alive throughout the generations. Once others started writing about his life, the information changed. Books were written and movies were produced. Many of the AmaZulus today will tell you that the movies are not accurate.

We love the story of King Shaka because it is a prime example of what happens when others get their hands on one's family history. For that reason, we have built this company around the idea of encouraging family members to not only research their family history, but try and keep it as accurate and safe as possible for the many generations to come. With that in mind, we have come up with a system like no other.

There are many who are on the internet offering to create a genealogy book for you, but NONE of them are offering to keep your history as safe as possible from being accessed by others who may want to exploit your information. That is why we have made securing your records a priority of ours. Our main goal is to help families secure their history under the necessary copyrights as well as securing the contents that are published in a genealogy book.

Our Security System Consists of:

SSL Certificates
All pages of this site are secured using a SSL Certificate. We encrypt your information as you send the files to us so that it would be hard for hackers to grab your family's information. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a Web site and encrypts information that is sent to the server using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. SSL certificates-built around stringent, industry-leading authentication measures-allow Web site owners to secure all online transactions with up to 256-bit encryption. An SSL certificate on a Web site ensures that sensitive data is safe from prying eyes.

SSL certificate serves as an electronic "passport." It establishes the website's authenticity and credibility and enables the browser and Web server to build a secure, encrypted connection. Credibility is established by checking the digital certificate, which includes:

The Certificate holder's name (individual or company)
The Certificate's serial number and expiration date
A copy of the Certificate holder's "public" cryptographic key
The digital signature of the Certificate-issuing authority

Our Certificates are:
Fully validated
Up to 256-bit encryption
99% browser recognition
Stringent authentication
Warranty (up to $1,000,000)

What does Encryption mean?
Encryption can be thought of as locking something valuable into a strong box with a key. Conversely, decryption can be compared to opening the box and retrieving the valuable item. On computers, sensitive data in the form of e-mail messages, files on a disk, and files being transmitted across the network can be encrypted using a key. Encrypted data and the key used to encrypt data are both unintelligible.

Gcode Assignment
We take pride in protecting your privacy. Our system is designed to keep family information within the family. Each Family Historian will receive an unique number referred to as a GCODE. This code is given as an identifyer to keep all of your contents and transactions organized. It is also used as a communication tool between GriotBook and the AG or Family Historian. It is security code to prevent unauthorized users from obtaining important information.

Private Purchasing
Private Purchasing is yet another step that we have put in place in an effort to keep your family's history safe. Once the word is out that you have created a GriotBook and/or a family heirloom, there may be some family members who will call us or try and order a copy of the GriotBook without you knowing it. We vow to NEVER sell your GriotBook to anyone that YOU have not authorized to purchase it. For example:

Sally contacts us on the phone and states that she is interesting in obtaining a copy of the Smith's GrotBook. The first thing we would request from her is the Gstore code. If she provides this code to us, we will then proceed in taking her order for her own copy of the Smith's GriotBook. If she does not have the Gstore code, we would then inform her that she must contact you, the Family Historian to obtain that code in order to purchase a copy. We will then provide her with YOUR information that you have listed in your account as the contact info. This is the ONLY way that anyone can purchase a copy of your GriotBook. No Gstore code; no GriotBook.

This process operates the same way for anyone who attempts to purchase the GriotBook online. They must have the Gstore code or they will not be authorized to purchase your familiy's history....PERIOD!

Authorized Griots
An Authorized Griot (A.G) is one appointed by the Family Historian (F.H). When an A.G is appointed, He/She will work closely with the F.H to assist in seeing the GriotBook to completion. The Authorized Griot can also be the Family Historian, but in retrospect, the two are not the same. The A.G is the direct contact person that we will correspond with for any and all questions that we may have pertaining to the completion of the GriotBook. The A.G's level of security granted by the F.H determines how much of an input is allowed. The A.G must possess the special Gcode that is issued to him or her in order to make any changes to the GriotBook, purchase the GriotBook, etc.

Beneficiary
Every Family Historian is encouraged, almost required to name a beneficiary to their GriotBook and the contents thereof. Appointing a beneficiary to inherit the contents of the GriotBook will:

1. Allow someone in the family to continue the family history where you left off,
2. Keep us from destroying all of your collected files,
3. Allow a family member to apply for a new copyright on your family heirloom.

If there is no Beneficiary listed on a Family Historian's account, all contents that are kept at GriotBooks.com will be destroyed. No exceptions! We are serious about keeping your information within the family, so skipping out on this step will hurt your loved ones in the end.

Security Questions
As one of our many efforts to secure the Family Historian's account and contents, we require that 3 security questions be placed on file that is chosen by the Family Historian. These questions will be asked of the Family Historian if he/she is locked out of their account or cannot locate their Gcode. Visit our Security System page for more information on our efforts to keep your family's history safe.

We hope that this page was helpful, but if you are sill not clear on our security sysem, please contact us @ (888) 600.2011.