Introduction
Many State agencies provide information and services by the Internet. Much of
the information and many of the services do not include personal or
confidential information, and are available to anyone accessing the State's
Portal or agency Web sites. When access to information or services is
restricted to protect your privacy or the privacy of others, you may be asked
to provide a DWD/Wisconsin user name and password. Your DWD/Wisconsin user name and
password verifies your identity so that we can provide you with access to your
information and services, while restricting access by unauthorized individuals.
If you choose to accept the conditions of this user acceptance agreement, you
will be prompted to provide the basic information that is required to issue a
DWD/Wisconsin user name and password. The information you provide will be stored in
your user profile and will be managed according to the State's policy, as
described below.
To create your DWD/Wisconsin user name, you will be asked for your name, e-mail
address (optional), telephone number (optional), your desired User Name and
password. A secret question and answer will also be required to look up your
DWD/Wisconsin user name or password if you forget them. Some State Internet
services may require additional information. For example, some applications may
require a postal address and others may require additional forms of
identification. If the necessary information is not already stored, you will be
given the opportunity to add that information to your user profile. If you have
provided the information previously, there will be no need to re-enter it. You
will always have the choice to opt out and not provide the requested
information. However, if you do so, you may not be able to complete your
transaction over the Internet. You will also have the ability to review, delete
or update the information stored in your user profile.
In time, we anticipate that every State agency will recognize
your DWD/Wisconsin user name and password. There will be no need to have a
separate User Name for each agency. Once you have
created a DWD/Wisconsin user name your identification information,
contact information and the other data you choose to provide, will be made
available to appropriate State applications. Because we store this information,
you do not have to provide it each time you use a service with privacy or
confidentiality restrictions. Please note that only certain types of
information will be stored in your user profile, as described below in the
Information Collected and How It Is Used section. Your user profile will never
contain records such as driving history, tax information, unemployment
compensation, vehicle registrations, or prison records.
Protecting Your Account
Your DWD/Wisconsin user name and password are your keys to doing secure
business with the State of Wisconsin over the Internet. They should be
considered as important as your signature. Do not share your DWD/Wisconsin
User Name or password with anyone. You are the only person who will know your
password. It will be secured and unavailable to anyone, including State
security officers and administrators. It is your obligation to protect it by
keeping it confidential and known only to you.
Information systems, and the data that is stored and managed by the State of
Wisconsin, are governed by State and Federal laws, rules and regulations.
Violators may be subject to prosecution, fines or other sanctions.
Information Collected and How It Is Used
The information collected for user access to State Web applications
is limited to what is required to provide secure delivery of those
applications.
Information about users of State Web applications may include the following:
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Identifying information, such as name, date of birth and identification
numbers, that is used to verify an individual's identity when they request a
DWD/Wisconsin user name to access DWD Web applications.
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Contact information, such as telephone number, postal address and e-mail
address, that is used to contact the individual regarding their account.
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Information, such as DWD/Wisconsin user name, password and related attributes, that
is used to maintain security.
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Program area identification numbers that are used to link the user and a
specific application. This information will not be collected or stored unless
it is required for access to specific applications.
Personal Information and Choice
Personal information is information about an individual that is readily
identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes
identifiers such as an individual's name, address and telephone number. A
domain name or Internet Protocol (IP) address is not considered personal
information. We do not collect any personal information about you, unless you
voluntarily participate in an activity that asks for the information.
A user profile will not be created for you unless you request a DWD/Wisconsin
user name and password. Individuals who have requested a DWD/Wisconsin
user name and password may ask to have their profile removed from the system.
Individuals who do not request a DWD/Wisconsin user name and password, or request
to have their profile removed, will not be denied services but may not be able
to access those services by the Internet.
Public Disclosure
Much of the information that is collected by the State of Wisconsin is
confidential and is managed accordingly. The State has taken appropriate steps
to safeguard the integrity of this information and to prevent access by
unauthorized persons.
The Wisconsin Public Records Law (Wis. Stat. § 19.31 - 19.39) exists to ensure
that government is open and that the public has access to appropriate records
and information that are in the possession of the State government. At the same
time, there are exceptions to this law that serve various needs, including the
privacy of individuals. Certain information that the State manages is
confidential. This includes identity and security data that is used to control
access to information, and to protect the privacy of individuals and
organizations that receive services from, or are regulated by, the State. The
State will make every effort to secure this information and to protect the
privacy of individuals who have personably identifiable information stored in
their user profile.
The State may aggregate user logon information and usage to determine trends
and to facilitate sound decisions regarding system design and future
application deployments. However, the State will not sell the information
managed in your user profile, in either a specific or a generalized format.
Access and Correction of Personal Information
Individuals will be allowed to view personal information relating to their user
profile and to update the contact information in their user profile (address,
telephone, or e-mail address). Passwords will be secured and will be stored in
an encrypted format.
Use of Cookies
A cookie is a small amount of data, which may include an anonymous unique
identifier, that is sent to your browser from a Web site's computers and may
either be used during your session (session cookie) or may be stored on your
computer's hard drive (persistent cookie). Cookies may contain data about a
user's movements during their visit to the Web site. If your browser software
is set to allow cookies, a Web site can send its own cookie to you. A Web site
that has set a cookie can only access those cookies it has sent to you, it
cannot access cookies sent to you by other sites.
When you request a DWD/Wisconsin user name and password, and when you use your
DWD/Wisconsin user name to access State services over the Internet, a session
cookie will be sent to your browser and stored in your computer's memory. The
cookie will be used to maintain session information, so that you do not have to
re-enter your DWD/Wisconsin user name and password when you navigate different
pages and/or services. Your privacy is best protected if you close your browser
after you are done using applications that use session cookies.