PORTOFGALVESTON.COM PRIVACY STATEMENT

PORTOFGALVESTON.COM
PRIVACY STATEMENT

Statement of Purpose
This policy describes the privacy practices regarding information collected from visitors to this website. It contains information about what data is collected and how it is used. This Privacy and Security Policy applies only to the Port's website and to the online payment pages on the site hosted by the Port's online payment vendor. It does not apply whenever visitors leave the Port of Galveston's domain and follow a link to another site, including the sites of state agencies and local governments, except for the online payment pages referenced above. If the address in the browser does not indicate one of the Port of Galveston's domains or the online payment vendor's domain, you are no longer on the Port's website. The privacy and security policy of the site owner of each site visited should be reviewed to determine how each site owner addresses personally identifiable information. This policy may be updated periodically.

The Port of Galveston approved the current version of this policy on March 29, 2004.

Definitions
Throughout this document unless otherwise specified:

"Governmental body" means those entities identified in the definition of governmental body found at Texas Government Code, Section 552.003, which is part of the Texas Public Information Act.
"Personally identifiable information" means information that could be used to name or distinguish an individual conducting business on the Port's website from others. Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to: name; address; Social Security Number; credit card, debit card, or bank account information numbers; driver's license number, professional license number, occupational license number, and tax identification numbers; and email address.

Collection of Information
For online transactions conducted on the Port's website, individuals will be requested to enter certain information about themselves and/or the organization with which they are affiliated. When personally identifiable information is requested, there will be an indication of whether the disclosure of such information is mandatory or optional to continue the transaction. The type of information requested will vary based upon the type of transaction with the individual. The Port will collect the same information as would be collected if the transaction was performed in person, over the telephone, or through the mail with the Port. Additional information may be requested if required by law, if such information is necessary to verify an individual's identity and secure the transaction, or if the visitor would like updates regarding new features offered by the Port. Information regarding the Port will only be sent to visitors if they explicitly choose to receive it.

For all other browsing, visitors are not asked for personally identifiable information, and none will be collected. The server logs and persistent cookies of the Port's website collect information about the number and types of visitors to the site and how they use the website. This information includes the type of browser, operating system, and the Internet Protocol ("IP") address used by each visitor and similar information about the computer network used. It also includes information verifying when and how pages of the website were accessed. However, no attempt is made to match this information with the identity of the visitor, except as is required to comply with a law enforcement investigation.

Use of Information
Information collected in the course of the transaction is used for the following purposes:

To conduct online transactions with the Port;
To send an email to the individual using the online service confirming the transaction; or
To provide information about new features offered by the Port, to visitors who have elected to opt-in to receive the service.

Metrics from the Port's server logs and persistent cookies are used for the following purposes:

assessing the usability of the Port's website,
determining what information is of most interest to website visitors,
establishing technical design specifications,
measuring the website's system performance, and
identifying potential issues associated with the interface or operation of the Port's website

The Port uses contractors to provide various products and services required for the operation of this website. Personally identifiable information may be shared with these contractors to the extent necessary to enable the necessary products and services to be provided. Contractors and subcontractors of the Port are prohibited by contract from sharing and selling information from or about the users of this website.

The Port will not disclose the email addresses of members of the public that have communicated electronically with a governmental body without the affirmative consent of the affected individual. Personally identifiable information contained in a question or comment sent to the Port in an email message or submitted in an online form is only used by the Port to respond to the question or comment. The Port may redirect the message to a specific state agency or local government for response if Port staff believes that the state agency or local government may be in a better position to answer the question than the staff of the Port.

The Port may be required by law enforcement or judicial authorities to provide personally identifiable information to the appropriate governmental authorities. The Port will cooperate with law enforcement agencies in identifying those who appear to be using our services for illegal activities. The Port reserves the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that they in good faith believe to be unlawful.

The Port does not sell or release personally identifiable information. Information provided to any governmental body may be subject to disclosure pursuant to the Texas Public Information Act and applicable federal legislation. Information about the Texas Public Information Act is available from the Office of the Attorney General at http://www.oag.state.tx.us/AG_Publications/txts/2004publicinfohb_toc.shtml and at Texas Government Code, Chapter 552 at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/statutes/pdfframe.cmd?filepath=/statutes/docs/GV/content/pdf/gv.005.00.000552.00.pdf&title=GOVERNMENT%20CODE%20-%20CHAPTER%20552. Additionally, although the Port does not sell or release personally identifiable information, certain state agencies, local governments, or other entities whose sites are accessible through the Port's website may have different policies concerning the sale or release of personally identifiable information. Information about those policies should be obtained from the appropriate state agency, local government, or other entity.

Access to Information
Unless a governmental body is authorized to withhold the information from an individual under Texas Government Code Section 552.023, individuals are entitled to receive the information that the Port collects through its website. Pursuant to Texas Government Code, Sections 552.021 and 552.023, individuals are entitled to receive and review that information and to have inaccurate information corrected. Pursuant to Texas Government Code, Section 559.004, individuals are entitled to have each governmental body correct inaccurate information. Individuals who discover through the use of the Port's website that information relating to the individual is incorrect must contact each appropriate state agency or local government directly to request the information held about them and to correct any inaccurate information. Pursuant to Texas Government Code Chapter 552, each governmental body may charge a fee to an individual who requests information about the data collected about him or her. However, the governmental body may not charge a fee to the individual to correct the information.

Security
The Port uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for secure transmissions. SSL applies encryption between two computers, in this case the individual's personal computer and the Port's server. The Port utilizes 128-bit encryption, which is the strongest encryption currently standard in the marketplace. As a minimum, the following information will be protected when transmitted to the Port's website:

Name;
Social Security Number;
All credit, debit, and charge card numbers;
Bank account and electronic check information;
Transaction payment information;
Personal identification numbers (PIN) and passwords; and
Email addresses.

A web browser will automatically activate the appropriate security features when initiating a transaction on the Port's website. On most browsers, an unbroken key or locked padlock graphic at the bottom of the browser screen indicates that a secure connection is established.

Cookies
Some of the online transactions hosted on the Port's website use cookies. A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on a visitor's personal computer to track specific information about that visitor's interaction with the website. The services hosted on the Port's website use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie is temporary and only exists during a single session in which a visitor visits this website. Session cookies are used to keep track of a particular online transaction. Port website session cookies are destroyed after successful completion of a transaction, after a few minutes of inactivity or when the browser is closed. Persistent cookies continue to exist after a few minutes of inactivity, after the browser is closed or after a visitor completes a single session. The Port uses persistent cookies to track visitor activity on the site to structure content and make the website easy to use. All persistent cookies from the Port will expire within twenty-five months.

Port cookies do not contain or collect personal identifiable information about visitors. Moreover, the Port will not match visitor activities with personally identifiable information.

If an individual's web browser does not accept cookies, he or she may not be able to conduct online transactions on the Port's website. However, this will not hinder normal browsing of the website.

The Port does not utilize web bugs or any other technology to track user activity other than those stated in this policy.

Additional Information
To the extent allowed by the laws that establish the framework of open government, the Port has a firm commitment to protecting the personal privacy of visitors to its website. For more information on cookies, review the World Wide Web Consortium's Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.w3.org/Security/Faq/wwwsf2.html#CLT-Q10. For more information on how to protect personal information online consult the U.S. Federal Trade Commission website at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/index.html.

Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about the Port's Privacy and Security Policy, please contact the Port of Galveston - Director of Administration at bacurran@portofgalveston.com. If you have any questions or concerns about how state agencies and local governments handle personal information, please contact those governmental bodies directly.