Does this Policy Apply to You?
This privacy policy covers information about individuals (clients) using apps from the Beef Cattle Institute (BCI). This privacy notice is applicable to your client account with the BCI. Except as described below or as required by law, BCI does not disclose information about our current or former clients.
What Personal Information Does BCI Obtain?
Through the structure of the BCI apps, an email address is obtained on our clientele. Other personal information such as zip code may be collected if provided by the client.
What Information Do We Disclose?
If a client provides permission to use their data, BCI may use individual client data by aggregating with other clients’ data in a manner that ensures each individual client’s anonymity. All reasonable efforts to keep personal information confidential and to not disclose personal identifiers will be made. While strictly maintaining client confidentiality, BCI and other entities may use the data to produce reports and publications if permission to use the data for these purposes is granted by the client. Additionally, information may be disclosed in connection with a subpoena or similar legal requirement.
How Do We Secure Your Information?
BCI maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your information. All BCI personnel are instructed to use the information for business purposes only.
What if You Are a Former Client?
In the event you become an inactive client, BCI will continue to adhere to the privacy policies and practices described in this notice.
Links to Other Web Sites
If you click a link to another web site, that web site may collect, use and disclose information about you in ways which are different from what BCI does. You should review that web site’s policies. BCI is not responsible for what the operators of other web sites do with your information.
BCI Online Policy
Safeguards That We Have In Place
Here are some of the safeguards we have in place to protect against security breaches in the BCI Online environment:
Firewalls – BCI computer systems include “firewalls” that we monitor and that are designed to protect against unauthorized access to our systems.
User ID and Password – The BCI system is designed to limit online account access to those possessing the User ID and Password associated with your account(s). You are responsible for your user ID and password security. We encourage and stress that you maintain the security and change the password on a regular basis.
Account Verification – We verify account request information before access is given to a BCI Online account. This is done using information in our computer system not information submitted in the account request. In the event your login information is forgotten, we only reply to information from our computer system or the original e-mail which is stored with the BCI Online account.
Use of “Cookies” and Other Technologies – BCI does NOT use cookies or other means to identify your activity at our website. However, we do monitor overall usage of our website.
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act – BCI recognizes that protecting children’s identities and privacy is important. Our account verification procedures should prevent unauthorized users from getting access to our online system.
Things You Should Do To Protect Yourself Online
Here are some of the things you should do to protect yourself in the online environment:
User ID and Password – Please follow these rules to protect yourself:
- Never disclose your User ID or Password to anyone else;
- Memorize your User ID or Password, don’t write them down;
- Change your password frequently;
- Don’t use birth dates, names, or other easily guessed letters or numbers;
- Don’t be taken in:
BCI Will Never Send You an E-mail Asking for Your User ID or Password
Sign Out – When you are finished online, sign out using the link provided and close your browser. We suggest you do this before you surf to any other web sites.
“Phishing,” Spoofs, Hoaxes and other Deceptive e-Mails – Be careful when responding to e-mails that look like they are from us. BCI will never send you an e-mail that asks you to verify your user ID or password. Many thieves or hackers will send you an e-mail asking you to click on a link that takes you to a web site (or pop-up window) where you will be asked to “confirm,” “verify,” “update” or otherwise provide sensitive information. Sometimes these e-mails will falsely say your account will be shut down if you don’t act quickly. Don’t be intimidated by these threats. These links, web sites and pop-up windows may look like ours, but will really just take you to the thief (sometimes you can tell because there will be misspellings or transposition of letters in the link or web site address). Clicking on one of these links can expose your computer to viruses and spyware, even if you don’t supply the sensitive information they want. If you receive such a request, it is probably fraudulent. If you have any doubts about whether an e-mail from us is authentic, don’t reply to it, open any attachment or use the link in the e-mail. To contact BCI, please find the applicable telephone number on the ‘Contact Us’ page.
Security for your own Computer – Protect your own computer by doing these things:
- Keep your operating system and browser up to date.
- Install a personal firewall;
- Install anti-virus software and keep it up to date;
- Scan your computer for spyware on a regular basis;
- Don’t download programs or files from unknown sources;
- Install a pop-up blocker from a trustworthy source;
- Disconnect from the internet when you are not online.