Privacy training offers valuable tips, tools to CA groups

On September 16th, Consumer Action and its Privacy Information Project hosted a Credit File Security Freeze Roundtable in Riverside, California. The training brought together 33 staff from area community-based organizations to discuss credit file security freeze and other privacy issues. Of the staff that attended, 94% indicated that the training was complete enough for them to feel confident about conducting trainings and presentations on their own.

Outreach and Training Director Mikael Wagner and Community Outreach Manager Linda Williams co-facilitated the morning session on how to place a credit file security freeze on a credit report and led a lively discussion on medical privacy. In particular, Wagner discussed the importance of placing a security freeze on your credit report after being a victim of identity theft while Williams reviewed ways to protect one’s self from identity theft by ordering your credit reports three times per year and specialty consumer reports at least once per year. Participants were eager to know more about Internet safety in the age of increased social networking and so the trainers directed the participants to Consumer Action’s web site, www.consumer-action.org, for additional information and resources about privacy.

Community Outreach Manager, Linda Williams facilitated the afternoon session on workplace privacy. Williams led an interactive discussion on the nuts and bolts of workplace privacy and how employees can protect themselves and better understand the role of employers in implementing a privacy policy. Participants had several questions about workplace privacy and Williams was able to direct participants to visit the Privacy Information Project web site: http:// privacy-information.org for additional resources and a free download of a publication on the topic.

The event also provided opportunities for networking, and several groups discussed ways in which they could work together.