Privacy Accreditation

The ImServices' privacy review goes beyond simply completing a questionnaire and distributing a seal. It verifies compliance of Internet service providers, such as Web sites and ad servers, to industry guidelines published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Online Privacy Alliance (OPA) and the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI). ImServices reviews a client’s:

• Privacy policy
• Use of cookies
• Data collection
• Handling
• Security
• Business practices
• Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P) implementation for compliance to current standards

Special attention is paid to instances of Online Preference Marketing (OPM), otherwise known as consumer profiling, and any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data collection and usage.

Reviews can easily be expanded to incorporate special contractual obligations resulting from individual business relationships.

The ImServices' approach to privacy accreditation focuses on examining a client’s business processes for collection, storage and reporting of user and activity data. This process-focused approach has several advantages. With a thorough knowledge of the systems in place, ImServices can provide a client with valuable insight into how to comply with industry standards and, if necessary, improve existing practices. In addition, it is both more efficient and less intrusive for the client.

At the beginning of an engagement, ImServices performs an initial review of a client’s manual and automated processes to completely understand the technology employed to collect, store and utilize visitor information. The review includes a careful evaluation of the internal controls that ensure data is collected and processed in conformance with the published privacy policy and to industry guidelines. Based on the internal control review, a risk assessment is conducted to identify any opportunities for violations or inconsistencies. Following the risk assessment, tests are performed to verify the effectiveness of current controls.

Deliverables
After the initial review, the client receives a draft report, outlining any areas where improvements could/should be made. Once any required adjustments are made and the review process confirms that the client’s business processes conform to the appropriate industry guidelines, ImServices provides a formal accreditation document attesting to compliance.

Although the accreditation is effective as of a particular point in time, there are steps that can be taken to maintain continuous accreditation without incurring the costs involved with the initial audit. The specific steps required vary depending on the results of the initial audit.

To learn more about Privacy Accreditation, call (847) 695-9575 or email sales@imservicesgroup.com.