CIS Connected Online Privacy Policy

Protecting privacy is not a new endeavor for CIS CONNECTED. CIS CONNECTED has a long-standing tradition of recognizing and protecting the privacy of customers who use its telecommunications networks. The company maintains strict customer information privacy policies and uses state of the art technologies to safeguard customer information and communications from unauthorized intrusions.

CIS CONNECTED recognizes that the growth of online services, including Internet services, has created additional privacy concerns, particularly for consumers.

Online privacy concerns focus primarily on the protection of "customer identifiable" information which an individual or other customer reasonably expects to be kept private. As the term suggests, "customer identifiable" information is information that, when associated with an individual identifies that individual, for example, a customer's name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address.

Some Internet users may also wish to know who can learn about what they do on the Internet, even when that online behavior is not directly linked to any information that identifies an individual. For example, advertisers may observe whether visitors to a Web site see or respond to online advertising without knowing who those visitors are.

It is common practice and often a necessity for companies, governments, or other organizations to collect customer identifiable information in order to conduct business and offer services. For example, a telecommunications provider may collect customer identifiable information, such as name, address, telephone number, and a variety of other information in the course of billing and providing telephone service to a customer.

Some activities on the Internet follow very familiar patterns. Consumers signing up for an Internet access service, for example, are usually asked to provide name, address, telephone number and credit card and other information that is typical when the consumer orders a product or service. Similarly, business Web sites may ask visitors to supply information about themselves, particularly when information, services or merchandise are requested, but often simply to be able to better target the company's services to the customer's interests and requirements.

CIS CONNECTED's Online Privacy Policy: Informed Choice

CIS CONNECTED has put in place the following Online Privacy Policy. This policy covers CIS CONNECTED and its subsidiaries, CIS CONNECTED will continue to protect customer information derived from its local, long distance, cable and wireless services consistent with federal laws and with federal regulations issued by the Federal Communications Commission.

How CIS CONNECTED Protects Your Privacy Online

Collection and Use: CIS CONNECTED will collect and use customer identifiable information for billing purposes, to provide and change service, to anticipate and resolve problems with your service, or to create and inform you of products and services that better meet your needs. This means that CIS CONNECTED may use your customer identifiable information, in conjunction with information available from other sources, to market new services to you that we think will be of interest to you, but we will not disclose your customer identifiable information to third parties who want to market products to you.

When you access the Internet, the computers that host Web sites you visit (Web servers) automatically receive some anonymous information. This "usage data" may include a record of which pages a Web browser has visited. CIS CONNECTED servers receive usage data when customers visit CIS CONNECTED Web sites, CIS CONNECTED may use usage data to provide advertising about goods and services that may be of interest to CIS CONNECTED customers, or to provide customized features and services. CIS CONNECTED will not use information about your activities on the Internet together with any information that identifies you without your consent.

CIS CONNECTED and its advertisers may use various kinds of software devices to collect information about Internet use. Small files called "cookies" may be attached to your Web browser. These files identify your browser and save information such as passwords so that Web sites can recognize you. You can set your browser to disable cookies, but some CIS CONNECTED Web sites (and other Web sites) may not work properly if you do this.

Disclosure: CIS CONNECTED will not sell, trade, or disclose to third parties any customer identifiable information derived from the registration for or use of an CIS CONNECTED online service -- including customer names and addresses -- without the consent of the customer (except as required by subpoena, search warrant, or other legal process or in the case of imminent physical harm to the customer or others). When CIS CONNECTED uses other agents, contractors or companies to perform services on its behalf, CIS CONNECTED will ensure that the company protects your customer identifiable information consistent with this Policy. If CIS CONNECTED includes your name and any other customer identifiable information in a directory that CIS CONNECTED creates from information we receive as an online service provider, the company will give you the opportunity to have your information excluded from that directory. Business directories that CIS CONNECTED creates may, however, contain information obtained from other sources.

Customer Choice: A customer may choose not to receive direct marketing communications from CIS CONNECTED in connection with CIS CONNECTED online services. Upon such choice, CIS CONNECTED (a) will not contact that customer directly with marketing messages about CIS CONNECTED online services, and (b) will not use customer identifiable information obtained from that customer's registration for or use of an online service to contact that customer with marketing messages about any CIS CONNECTED products or services. A customer may choose not to receive such messages by e-mail, by mail, or by telephone.

Learn more about how to make this choice:

Customer-identifiable information which a visitor volunteers at one of the CIS CONNECTED Web Sites to order CIS CONNECTED services other than online services will be protected just as if the information had been provided under more traditional ways of ordering that service.

Security: CIS CONNECTED has implemented technology and security features and strict policy guidelines to safeguard the privacy of your customer identifiable information from unauthorized access or improper use, and we will continue to enhance our security procedures as new technology becomes available.

E-mail Contents: The company will not read or disclose to third parties private e-mail communications that are transmitted using CIS CONNECTED services except as required to operate the service or as otherwise authorized by law.

Improper Conduct: CIS CONNECTED may also use customer identifiable information to investigate and help prevent potentially unlawful activity or activity that threatens the network or otherwise violates the customer agreement for that service.

Account Information: CIS CONNECTED honors requests from customers to review all customer identifiable information maintained in reasonably retrievable form, which currently consists of your name, address, e-mail address, telephone number and/or billing information, and will correct any such information which may be inaccurate. Customers may verify that appropriate corrections have been made.

Customer Concerns: If you are a consumer with concerns about the CIS CONNECTED online privacy policy or its implementation you may contact us at +1 (866-352-7019)

Changes in Practices: CIS CONNECTED will keep this Policy current. The company will inform you of any changes that we make.

Additional Privacy Protections for Children Using the Internet

CIS CONNECTED joins the industry in recognizing that children, including young teens, may not be able to make informed choices about personal information requested online.

Accordingly, CIS CONNECTED does not target children or teenagers (younger than eighteen years of age) for collection of information online. CIS CONNECTED does not solicit or collect customer identifiable information targeted at children and teenagers under eighteen and does not allow anyone else to do so on an CIS CONNECTED Web site. In addition, the editorial content of CIS CONNECTED Web sites designed for children will not knowingly promote or link to any third party Web site that collects customer identifiable information unless that Web site publishes a privacy policy that is easily accessible.

In addition, on all of its online services and CIS CONNECTED Web sites, CIS CONNECTED will encourage children to seek the consent of their parents before providing any information about themselves or their households to anyone on the Internet.

CIS CONNECTED encourages parents to take an active role to protect the privacy and security of their children and to prevent the inappropriate use of information about their children. CIS CONNECTED supports the development of technologies that help parents to control the collection and use of personal information from children who use online services in their households.

Finally, CIS CONNECTED complies with all Federal laws and regulations, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires the consent of a parent or guardian for the collection of personally identifiable information from children under 13 without the consent of a parent or guardian.

Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI)

Under federal law you have a right, and CIS CONNECTED has a duty, to protect the confidentiality of CPNI. CIS CONNECTED is currently permitted to use CPNI, without further action by you or by CIS CONNECTED, to offer additional services of the type you already purchase from CIS CONNECTED. We would like to use your CPNI to offer you new and different communications-related products and services. Before we can do that, CIS CONNECTED is required to provide this notice and an opportunity for you to deny CIS CONNECTED's use of your CPNI. Except as required by law, CIS CONNECTED will not sell, trade or share your CPNI with anyone outside of CIS CONNECTED other than its duly authorized agents and affiliates.

CPNI is information that relates to the telecommunications services you buy from CIS CONNECTED, including the types of services, how much you use them, how they are provided and related calling and billing records. CPNI does not include your telephone number, name, and address.