Special Districts Association of Oregon Privacy Policy
*** This following is only a draft not to be used or published as SDAO's security policy
XYZ Company (XYZ) recognizes its customers have an expectation that XYZ and its affiliates will maintain the confidentiality of customers' nonpublic personal information. As a result, XYZ has adopted this Privacy Policy concerning information that you provide and information that is obtained in servicing your account.
Information about you is collected for purposes of administering your account or accounts with us. We collect information about you for specific business purposes and not for resale or transfer to unaffiliated parties. The information we collect, the source of the information, and the purposes it is used for are explained below. If you close your account or it becomes inactive, XYZ will adhere to the privacy policies and practices described in this notice.
Information Collected
Nonpublic personal information is collected and retained by XYZ for purposes of administering your account. It is not furnished to third parties for any purpose other than to administer the account. The information we collect can be summarized as follows:
1. Account Establishment Information. This information is furnished by you on forms creating your account with XYZ and its affiliated companies. Examples are your name and address, Social Security number, and beneficiary designations (if applicable).
2. Account Transaction Information. This includes information obtained from you and from the various entities that work with the assets in your account. It includes correspondence and phone contacts with us concerning the account, account assets, and our services. If the account was transferred from another financial institution, it may contain records from that institution.
Nonpublic Information That Is Disclosed
All information in your account may be disclosed to any person or entity you have authorized pursuant to your account establishment documents. In addition, information may be disclosed to affiliated or nonaffiliated third parties to further your goals in establishing an account with XYZ. Categories of information that are disclosed are as follows:
1. Identifying Information. Examples of this information include your name, address, and Social Security or tax identification number.
2. Transaction Information. Examples include your directives to purchase or sell an asset in your account and the receipt of income to the account or distributions from the account.
Parties To Whom We May Disclose Nonpublic Information
XYZ may disclose both identification and transaction information to affiliated and nonaffiliated parties for the following reasons:
1. Financial Services Providers. Examples are brokers, transfer agents, mutual fund companies, or other representatives of the seller or purchaser of the asset or a firm that provides valuations for securities.
2. Non-financial Companies. Examples are companies that mail reports and prospectuses to you, statement printers, and tax form providers. XYZ does not disclose nonpublic personal information about our clients to any party, except as permitted by law.
How XYZ Protects the Confidentiality of Your Nonpublic Personal Information
XYZ and its affiliates value the trust you place in us. To maintain that trust, we have put into place safeguards to protect the privacy of your nonpublic personal information. We do not sell or trade your information with nonaffiliated companies. When information is provided to third party servicing companies, safeguards are in place to make certain that the information is used only for the purpose it is provided.
Internally, XYZ maintains its records on secured computers. Prospective employees are screened for criminal convictions and drug use. Once hired, employees are advised of XYZ privacy policies and of the confidential nature of the information they handle. Employees are limited to accessing only that customer information that is necessary to perform their job functions.
Web Security Disclosure
The security of your financial information and activities is a serious concern for Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO). SDAO is a technologically sophisticated company that uses computers and unique software to conduct business. The company has dedicated security experts to maintain its firewalls, anti-virus software, and other product measures to protect the integrity of client account information.
While the Internet is not a completely secure network, SDAO uses up-to-date measures to prevent unauthorized parties from having access to your private information on the SDAO website. SDAO uses software that secures and encrypts all private information that is transmitted via the Internet. This means that only you are able to access your information. Your account information is also scrambled so that only you can read it.
SDAO has taken several security precautions to ensure that your account data is available only to you or other authorized individuals. To give you additional security assurances, more information is available about:
- SDAO Online's security technology
- Security visual reminders
- Your User ID and Passwords
- Closing Your SDAO Online Session
- Browser requirements
Security Technology
SDAO currently employs a 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL), the same security technology used to conduct most of today's web commerce such as online credit card purchases and online stock trading. Since data security is a moving target and security protocols are continuously evolving, SDAO will implement security features in the future that will maintain the highest levels of secure data transmission.
The SSL protocol provides secure communications on the Internet by doing three things:
- SSL verifies that the server you are communicating with is the one it purports to be.
- SSL creates a secure communication channel by encrypting all communication between the user and the server.
- SSL conducts constant checks to verify data integrity between the server and you, the user. This is accomplished by using a checksum count of the exact number of bytes transmitted and received. If a message is not received in its entirety, it is rejected and another copy of the encrypted data is transmitted. In this way, SSL verifies that the entire message sent is actually received.
Security Visual Reminder
There are two visual reminders of the security status of your connection at any given time. When you are in a secure state, the URL (web address) showing in your browser will begin with https (the "s" stands for "secure"). Normal unsecured transmissions show a URL beginning with http.
Individual browsers also give a second indication that secured transmissions are being sent and received. Typically, a solid key or a locked padlock icon in the lower left-hand corner of your browser window indicates a secured session is in progress, while an icon showing a broken key, an open lock, or no icon at all, indicates an unsecured mode.
Your User ID and Passwords
Access to the SDAO Member site is gained when you log on and are asked to provide your User ID and your private password. Your User ID and password are established during the registration process. Keep your password private (just as you protect PINs you use for other transactions, such as ATM withdrawals). You may change your password as often as you want and it is recommended that you change your password frequently. After you have successfully registerd for the SDAO Member site, your registration is reviewed and activated by a member of SDAO's underwritting department. An account activation confirmation is then e-mailed to you at the address submitted during registration.
Closing Your SDAO Online Session
Once you have gained access to your secured account information, you will have access until you close your browser or Logout out the website. You will be logged off automatically after 15 minutes of non-use. Remember that anyone with physical access to your computer will have access to your account information if you have not closed your browser. Accessing another website will not close your browser - you must actually exit and close the browser. As a further security precaution, your session will expire and you'll need to log on to the SDAO Member site again if your browser is inactive for an extended period.
Browser Requirements
To access your account information on the SDAO Member site, you must use a browser capable of handling the level of security that SDAO provides.
To access your account information on the SDAO Member site, you must use a secure (SSL-enabled) browser. The latest versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer meet this requirement and are the recommended browsers to use. The SDAO Member site has been designed and tested to be compatible with version 5.0 of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Your browser must also support 128-bit encryption. Most standard browser installations provide only 40-bit encryption, so you'll need to upgrade to the 128-bit. Visit the website of your browser software for instructions about how to verify the current encryption level and how to upgrade it. For Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.0 or later), this information is found under Help/About Internet Explorer. You'll also find a direct link to the specific encryption level upgrade page on Microsoft's website.
Some Internet access providers (such as AOL) distribute customized browsers to their customers. The levels of security necessary to access the SDAO Member site are not supported by some of these browsers, particularly older versions. This same problem occurs in operating systems issued prior to MS Windows 95 and Macintosh System 8. To make sure systems are compatible, you should be running the latest version system software available for your computer, along with the latest version of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer instead of the browser provided by your Internet service provider.
If you are not sure about the browser version you are using, go to the Help menu at the top of the browser and choose "About" (Your Browser). The display will show you the version number of the browser you are using. If you do not see a version number, you are using an older version and should consider upgrading now if you want to use the SDAO Member site.
If you are accessing the SDAO Member site from behind a corporate firewall, you may experience difficulties with your browser hanging, or failing to complete loading a page. If this happens, ask your corporate system administrator to establish a Proxy for SSL.
Website Privacy
Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the information you provide to us through our websites. We do not sell or distribute website visitor or customer information to third parties. Any user information we gather will be distributed within SDAO or its affiliated organizations to serve your needs and respond to your information requests. When using our website(s) these are the guidelines we use in protecting your personal information.
Gathering of User Information
When you access the SDAO member site, the type of Internet browser you use is automatically collected and is placed in our Internet access logs. We use this information to learn which pages and information our website users and visitors access and how often. Throughout our site, we may provide the opportunity to subscribe to SDAO events or company news, to request company information, or to request product, or service information through an e-mail contact form. We use the information to respond to your requests. It is completely up to you whether or not you want to provide this information.
Use of Cookies
Cookies are small files of information that save specific information about your visit to a website on your computer. There are two types of cookies, persistent and session-based. Only persistent cookies remain on your computer after you've closed your browser or turned off your computer. The SDAO Member Site uses persistent cookies maintain your "User ID". The cookies we use identify you merely as a number and are used only to assist in Logging into the SDAO member site and expire after 30 days. Cookies, by themselves, cannot be used to find out the identity of any user. As a client of SDAO, we are especially careful about the security and confidentiality of the information we send through persistent cookies.
Session cookies and remain in your computer's memory only until your browser session has ended and is completely closed. Session cookies disappear from your computer when you close your browser software or turn off your computer. They contain encrypted or encoded information about your account(s), and/or identifying information that you have previously provided to us. This information allows SDAO to process your online transactions and requests. Session cookies help us make sure you are who you say you are after you've logged in. If you are uncomfortable regarding the use of cookies, you can disable cookies on your computer by changing the settings in the preferences or options menu in your browser. However, limiting or disabling cookies on your computer may limit the availability of some of the SDAO website offerings.
Disclosure of User Information
SDAO does not sell or distribute user information to third-parties. If you have voluntarily submitted user information to us through an e-mail or contact form, SDAO maintains your security by ensuring the information is only distributed within SDAO and its affiliates. This enables us to respond to your request about a product or service. If you subscribe to an e-mail list, you will be given instructions on how to remove yourself from that list.
External Links
The SDAO website may provide links to other third-party websites or websites affiliated with SDAO through a business partnership or otherwise. SDAO is not responsible for the privacy policies, practices, or the content of such external links. The websites of organizations affiliated with SDAO may provide the same or individualized privacy statements. These links are provided to you for convenience purposes only, and you access them at your own risk.
If you have any questions now or during your visit about our Privacy Statement, please contact SDAO at 800-285-5461.
