PRIVACYnotes provides a forum for web professionals who
deal with the sometimes volatile issue of respecting and protecting
the most valuable information their company can possess:
personally identifiable customer data. On PRIVACYnotes
we cover a diverse range of issues -- from e-mail marketing (and
spam)
to the importance of server software security toward protecting
customer privacy.
Lapses in security or disregard for customer privacy have led
to some high-profile bad press for large companies, who have dramatically
learned the danger of publicly exposing even a small amount of
customer information.
- Do you use "cookies" on your site?
- Have you asked permission to contact (not spam) customers
via e-mail?
- Is your customer database "hacker-proof"?
- What do you know about data security & protecting customer
information?
- Are you protected from cyber-terrorism?
- Do you favor an opt-in or opt-out policy?
- What are "web bugs"?
- Is "data-mining" advisable... cost effective... legal?
- Do you know the latest requirements for customer access?
- Have you assigned a Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) for your
business?
These are the hot-button issues that can make or break a web business,
and you can't afford to be ignorant of any of them -- whether you
are the webmaster of a micro-business with a ten page site, or the
corporate CIO in charge of multiple web properties.
Posted privacy policies accessible from the most prominent pages
of a business web site are now mandated by the Federal Trade Commission
in the United States.
Most web site visitors fail to read a posted privacy policy
so the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) http://www.w3.org/
has initiated the Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) http://www.w3.org/P3P/.
Standards are being developed for a default browser function that
will notify visitors of the strictness of your privacy policy
and warn them if you don't honor their preferences.
We've discussed these issues in a lively manner with minimal
technical jargon, so even the layman and small business webmaster
can understand. Although our discussion list is no longer active,
it contains extensive information with links to news and privacy
resources for those interested in privacy issues. Articles are
added on an ongoing basis as new issues are covered. Please feel
free to suggest resources and submit articles for reproduction
here. Privacy
Policy ;-)
Mike Banks Valentine is a champion of the true small online business.
He advocates a do-it-yourself approach to e-commerce through online
learning for the small office, home office (SOHO) or emerging entrepreneur
who lacks major venture capital funding or corporate marketing budgets.
Mike is the founder of WebSite101,
an educational resource for small businesses creating initial
Web presences. His writing has appeared in international publications
and his work praised by Entrepreneur Magazine. He does small business
web marketing and search engine optimization.
Contact Mike Banks
Valentine
