Vol. 7 No. 12

During the busy holiday season, be sure to keep privacy perspectives in the forefront of your mind. So many things crowd into our lives as we rush about in celebration of our holiday season, it is important to remember that during the season of peace and love and goodwill, there are those lurking in the shadows to take advantage of our good cheer. So, I am here to remind you to keep track of your personal information, your wallet, your debit and credit cards.

These handy hints will help keep your holiday merry and bright:

• Make sure to double-check your purse, pockets and packages to secure your credit card receipts and see that you have all your information and purchases.

• Do not volunteer information about yourself beyond what is necessary for a transaction when purchasing items either online or in person. That includes giving your phone number for in-person purchases and your social security number as a form of identification. Your privacy is in your hands here because any information you offer in these situations may be collected and used not only by those you gave it to but to the people they sell their information to as well.

• When shopping online, be sure you are on a secure site by checking for the little lock in the lower right hand corner of your browser. Read their privacy policy.

• Print out and save all of your receipts and record your confirmation numbers. Review your January credit card statements carefully to make sure there are no errors.

• Do not give your credit card number over a cell phone or in an email message; neither of these methods are safe communication of your personal information.

• When traveling, clean your wallet out before leaving. Take only the items you need for the trip. It’s best to leave your checkbook at home and take only a few checks along as needed.

• Use secure Wi-Fi networks and be exceedingly cautious when using public computers. Be sure to completely log off websites rather than just closing the window.

And in latest privacy news, two malls are tracking shoppers' movements via their cell phone signals. The management company is not collecting personal information, they just want to see how guests migrate from store to store, how long people stay in each location and if there are unvisited dead zones. Find out more by reading this CNNMoney story.

At the beginning of 2012, I am changing my newsletters to encompass more than just a privacy perspective. They will continue to be delivered each month and your next newsletter will arrive on January 4th, 2012 as usual. It will now be called “Darity's Dialog.” Please add the email address DaritysDialog@DarityWesley.com to your address book so you will be sure to receive your newsletter and it won't end up in your spam file.

Steve Wede, my longtime associate, will be taking over the consulting side of Privacy Solutions, Inc. as I move the privacy and information security legal practice to the Lotus Law Center (www.LotusLawCenter.com). Steve will be creating The Privacy Newsletter for you. Look for it in your inbox on the 3rd Thursday of each month.

Here is a message from Steve:

"Darity and I have been working together since 2004. Over these years Darity has been a mentor and a great teacher. Darity has helped me learn the ins-and-outs of the privacy industry and the real estate industry so I am excited to continue what Darity started with Privacy Solutions® with the new Privacy Solutions® Consulting."

"Privacy Solutions® Consulting will continue to service your privacy and information security needs with privacy policies and terms of use statements, social media policies, privacy and social media training, website risk assessments, and website risk management. Also, as the mobile sphere continues to expand Privacy Solutions® Consulting will guide you in helping to protect users of your mobile applications and in developing mobile applications from the ground up with privacy in mind. Contact Steve@PrivacyGurus.com for all of the great privacy expertise you have come to expect from the Privacy Gurus®!"

Wishing you the best holiday season ever!

Remember to "Like" Privacy Solutions and Darity Wesley on Facebook too!

Darity Wesley is CEO and Legal Counsel for Privacy Solutions, Inc. a San Diego based consulting firm. You can always reach Darity at Darity@PrivacyGurus.com or 619-670-9462.