Rules to Remember for Protecting Personal Privacy:

* Look for a privacy policy on every Web site that asks you to register or provide information. Take a minute and carefully read the policy. A credible privacy policy should be easy to find and easy to understand. Most ethical Web sites put a link to a privacy policy right on the home page. The policy should tell you exactly what information a Web site collects and what it is used for. If the Web site shares the information with anyone else it should tell you and give you the option of restricting such use. A privacy policy also should tell you about the security used to protect your personal information and how you can look at the information that is collected about you. These days, all consumer Web sites that treat information ethically have privacy policies. Look for them and use them. If you don’t find a privacy policy, email the Web site and ask them to post one.

* Look for a privacy seal. These seals, which are a recent innovation, give assurance that a Web site is abiding by its posted privacy policy. BBBOnLine (a subsidiary of the Council of Better Business Bureaus) and TRUSTe seals provide a mechanism to handle complaints by consumers who feel their privacy has been violated. The seals also mean a company has instituted systems for practicing what it preaches about privacy protection. If you don’t find a seal at a Web site, write to the site and ask for one.

* Do not under any circumstances give your password to anyone. Hackers and scammers often try to entice you to give you password through a variety of tricks. Be careful. Use different passwords at different Web sites and change your passwords every now and then.

* Use a secure browser that complies with an industry security standard, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) that encrypts or scrambles purchase information.

* Print a copy of your purchase order and confirmation number for your records when shopping online. Other tips are available at www.bbbonline.org and at www.truste.org.