VALIDAS recognizes the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided by visitors and users of our web site, subscribers to our newsletters, registrants for our events, recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all other customers of our products and services. We created this policy with a sincere respect for our customers' right to privacy and to guide our relationships with our customers. This Privacy Statement discloses the privacy practices for all products and services owned by Validas A current list of our publications, web sites, online webcasts, newsletters and trade shows can be found at www.validas.com

SECURITY DATA FLOWS WHO WILL BE COLLECTING INFORMATION? INFORMATION SHARING Expanded Privacy Policies

COLLECTION AND USE OF YOUR INFORMATION
VALIDAS collects information from our website users, subscribers and other customers. In this section of our Privacy Statement, we describe the type of information we collect and how we use it to provide better services to our customers.

Registration and Ordering
When signing up for services you will be asked to register. During registration, you will be required to give contact information (such as name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number). For internal purposes, we use this information to communicate with you and provide requested services, and, for our website visitors, to provide a more personalized experience on our sites. We use such information to improve our services to you.

For our services that require payment (products and subscriptions), we also collect credit card information (such as account name, number, address, expiration date and the code on the back of your credit card), which is used for our or our agent's billing purposes only, and is not ever otherwise shared except for processing with our bank.

Referral Information
If you choose to use our referral service to tell a friend about our site, we will ask you for your friend’s name and email address. We will automatically send your friend a one-time email inviting him or her to visit the site. Validas stores [or does not store] this information for the sole purpose of sending this one-time email [and tracking the success of our referral program]. Your friend may contact us at to request that we remove this information from our database.

E-mail Newsletters
If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact information (such as name, e-mail address) We use this information in the same manner as we use contact information in the registration and ordering process described above. Recipients of our newsletters can unsubscribe using the instructions listed at the end of the e-mail newsletter or by emailing us at

Surveys and Contests
From time to time we invite web site users and other customers to provide information via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and the website user or other customer therefore has a choice whether to disclose requested contact information (such as name and mailing address).

In addition to the other uses set forth in this policy, contact information collected in connection with surveys and contests is used to notify the winners and award prizes and to monitor or improve the use of, and satisfaction with our website or products or service. Subject to your preferences (as described in the "Permission" section below), such information may be shared with third party sponsors of such surveys or contests.

Interactive Features
At some of our sites, we offer interactive and community features such as discussion boards. Please note that all personal information sent or posted via such features becomes public information. We are not responsible for what is posted however we reserve the right to delete any offensive, hurtful or objectionable postings when we are made aware of such discussions.

Communications with Us
We have features where our customers can submit information to us (such as our feedback forms). Where such submissions include requests for service, support or information, we may forward them to our agents, as needed, to best respond to the specific request. In addition, we may retain e-mails and other information sent to us for our internal administrative purposes to help us to serve you and other better. Please note that letters to the editor and blogging may be made public.

Communications from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve you, our customer, we may send updates that contain important information about our products and services. For example, we send new members a welcoming message, and verify password and username for our password-protected portions of our web site. We may also communicate with a customer to provide requested services and for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular mail. In addition to such service and product-essential messages, we offer our customers the option to receive information about our company, related products, services and special deals. Users, however, can choose not to receive these communications from us, as set forth in the "Permission" section below.

Automatic Data Collection Clarification
Our web site, from time to time has features that automatically collect information from customers, to deliver content specific to customers' interests and to honor their preferences. This information assists us in creating products and services that will serve the needs of our customers.

For example, we use "cookies," a piece of data stored on your hard drive containing information about you as the user. Cookies benefit you by requiring login only once, thereby saving time while on our web site. If you reject the cookies, you may be limited in the use of some areas of our web site. For example, you may not be able to participate in contests. Additionally, we may note some of the pages the you visit on our web sites and via our email newsletters through the use of pixel tags (also called clear gifs) and web beacons. The use of cookies, pixels and web beacons enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our sites and via our email newsletters. We do not share that information with third party marketers.

In addition, some of our business affiliates use cookies on our web sites, in ads or promotions. However, we have no access to or control over these business affiliates' cookies; we urge you to read their privacy policies for information.

We also use an email delivery and marketing company to send emails (including newsletters) for which you have registered (or otherwise agreed to receive). Cookies may be used in such email messages to help us measure the effectiveness of our advertising and how customers use our web sites and other products and services.

For our internal purposes only, we gather date, time, browser type, navigation history and IP address of all visitors to our web sites. We use this information for our internal security audit log, trend analysis and system administration, and to gather broad information about our user base.

We may combine information supplied by a customer at registration with web site usage data to learn more about users and their preferences in the content of the site. We may use this information to tailor services to your interests or to contact you.

WITH WHOM YOUR INFORMATION IS SHARED
Other than with respect to our partners, and others who help us provide services (those who have a need to know such as (credit card processors) we do not share your information without your permission except if required by law. All sharing other than required by law or a court order is subject to the customer's preferences (as described in the "Permission" section below).

Other than as set forth above, we share personally identifiable information with other companies; in providing our product(s)/service(s), and which agree to use it only for that purpose and to keep the information secure and confidential.

If our company is merged or sold or if entities purchase our assets, products, sites or operations, they will have to use personal information. They will be subject to our privacy policies by agreement. If they choose to change the policies, they will need to provide notice to you in their own Privacy Policies.

We will disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for example, in response to a court order or a subpoena or other legal obligation, in response to a law enforcement agency's request, or in special cases when we have reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) our company or the rights or property of our valued customers.

You should also be aware that courts of equity, such as U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, might have the authority under certain circumstances to permit personal information to be shared or transferred to third parties without permission. We may share aggregate information, which is not personally identifiable, with others.

CORRECTION/UPDATING PERSONAL INFORMATION
If information which you have submitted to us changes, or if you no longer desire our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or update your personal data: you may either contact Customer Support for the applicable product or service or, to change your preferences, complete the "Feedback" page as described in the "Permission" section below. If you find it easier, you may also send us an email at

PERMISSION
For those customers that are California residents, you may have additional rights, as described in the "Your California Privacy Rights" section below.

Please note that we will endeavor to implement your permission requests within a reasonable time, although for a time you may continue to receive mailings, etc., transmitted based on information released prior to the implementation of your request. In addition, please note that even after such request is implemented, you will continue to receive information directly related to the product or service for which you registered (or which you otherwise agreed to receive), so you always are kept informed.

YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits those customers that are California residents to request that Validas not share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing use. To make such a request, write us at:
Validas
9119 Hwy 6 South
Suite 230 Box 130
Missouri City, Texas 77459

SECURITY
We use reasonable precautions to protect information about our customers while it is stored on our servers or in transit to our vendors processing on our behalf. Sensitive information that is transmitted to us online (such as credit card number) is encrypted and is transmitted to us securely. In addition, access to all of our customers' information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Finally, the servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

LINKS
Our web sites contain links to other sites. Validas is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each web site to which we may link that may collect personally identifiable information.

CHILDREN
Validas website is not directed at individuals less than thirteen years of age, and we do not intend to collect any personally-identifiable information from such individuals.

NOTIFICATION and CHANGES
If we change our Privacy Policy, we will notify all current users of our service by e-mail and post those changes on this page so previous and future users are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under which circumstances, if any, we disclose it. Please check this policy frequently to keep abreast of any changes.