You have chosen to engage Indie Artist Resource (“IAR”) through your purchase on www.indieartistresource.com, which means that except in rare cases, your communication with IAR will be solely electronic in nature. This means that there is a high likelihood that you will be communicating with IAR’s personnel and/or Erin M. Jacobson, Esq. solely through e-mail or electronic forms via the IAR website and only through the Internet. Please be aware that the use of Internet and electronic methods of communications may involve risks regarding the security and confidentiality of your information. The law requires that to preserve and protect your attorney-client privilege with us, and the confidentiality of your information, you must exercise reasonable care in how you use the Internet to keep your information private and safe, which may include, but is not limited to, the following ways:
- using complex passwords, i.e. a mixture of numbers, letters (both uppercase and lowercase) and symbols in a sequence that is not easily identifiable;
- making sure your account on www.indieartistresource.com and each electronic device you own is protected by a complex password as indicated above;
- not sharing your passwords with others;
- storing your passwords in a secure file or location available only to you;
- changing your passwords periodically to other complex passwords;
- using a private or secure Internet connection (those protected by a password only known to limited individuals) whenever you are accessing your account on www.indieartistresource.com or communicating with IAR;
- making sure your home Internet router is secured by changing its default name to something not easily recognizable, by assigning it a complex password, by installing and/or activating the firewall, and by selecting a high security option;
- not using a public, semi-public or shared internet connection, where examples of unsafe public, semi-public or shared internet connections are any Internet connection that connects upon your request without a required password, or where the password is available to others in a public space for free or thorough payment of a small fee. These kinds of unsafe connections exist in areas that include, but are not limited to, those available in public spaces, in hotels, in airports, other transportation venues, and in coffee shops and malls, etc.;
- not using public or shared computers, and if using a public or shared computer is necessary, making sure to log out of your account on www.indieartistresource.com when finished using the site or completing your order;
- not sharing or talking about communications between you and IAR with anyone else, and keep all communications between you and IAR in a safe place;
- keeping your operating systems and web browsing software in all of your devices up to date and addressing any security warnings;
- using firewall or other protection on your computer;
- protecting your computer and electronic devices with antivirus, anti-spy, and/or anti-malware software, and keeping them up to date;
- not clicking on suspicious links in e-mails or on the web, choosing instead to go directly to the website yourself;
- turning off file sharing on your computer or across electronic devices;
- not inserting unfamiliar USB or any freestanding data storage devices into your computer without first scanning it to make sure it is clear of viruses, worms, malware, etc.; and
- not submitting credit card or other sensitive information through e-mail, and only submitting such information through trusted websites that are security enabled.
The methods listed below are just some of the actions you can take to protect yourself online, although there are many more methods available. Please educate yourself on further safe Internet practices by seeking out the appropriate resources, many of which are easily accessible online, and take any and all necessary actions to protect yourself.