We at PrivacyHarbor.com are pleased to announce that we have just released the first edition of our quarterly newsletter.  In it, you will find the latest information about privacy, our PrivacyHarbor.com service and PrivacyHarbor, Inc.

We would love to hear what you think. Please let us know what you like, do not like, and what you would want to see us add next time. We read all comments, and our newsletter, like our service, is built upon your feedback.  If you wish to subscribe, please visit us at PrivacyHarbor.com and then enter your email in the newsletter subscription area of our homepage.

We also invite everyone to visit us at www.PrivacyHarbor.com today, and see how easy it is to send and receive private email. We are your advocate in protecting your Internet communications, and we encourage everyone to take back your privacy with PrivacyHarbor.com.

Over the past six months or so there has been a lot of positive buzz surrounding PrivacyHarbor.com and our private email platform. We are thrilled that tens of thousands of people have subscribed to our service over that short period of time and the feedback has been very positive. With this initial success comes a lot of responsibility, and we are busier than ever listening to your comments and suggestions in order to continually enhance our service.

Our company is all about providing private Internet communications for everyone. By saying “everyone,” we are indeed saying that consumers and small businesses finally have a viable solution for private and secure email. We, and our subscribers, believe that we have created a solution for private email that is easy to use and inexpensive. In fact, we even offer a free, private email account.

So the question remains, why did we build a product for consumers and small businesses where so many others focus on the large Fortune 500 companies? The answer is simple; we believe that privacy is a right, even on the Internet. Most people already expect privacy in all other forms of communications, but may not think it is possible on the Internet. Advertisers, hackers and identity thieves have used this popular assumption to their benefit over the years and, as a result, there are now major problems such as spam, identity theft and unwanted target advertising.

All the major corporations on the Internet, including Google, Yahoo and Facebook make the vast majority of their money through advertising.  Privacy simply gets in the way of their business model, which is based on exploiting user information in order to provide targeted advertisements. At PrivacyHarbor, we have a different business model. We make money the old fashion way, by respecting our subscribers and the people they are communicating with, and by providing a great service. We are in the privacy business – not the advertising business.

We encourage everyone to visit us on www.PrivacyHarbor.com today, try private email and let us know what you think. Our services are being built on your feedback. You now have an advocate to protect your Internet communications and we encourage everyone to take back their privacy with PrivacyHarbor.com.

The holiday season has arrived, which for many families means it’s time to pull out the seasonal food recipes, prepare for a visit from the in-laws, and keep an eye out for the biggest holiday discounts. But one important task often overlooked by families during this busy time of year is to create an online safety checklist.

Before you make your next online gift purchase or update your social media profile, make sure you are aware of the following safety tips, geared to help protect the privacy and security of you and your family:

Online Purchases –

• Never buy gifts from websites that do not have SSL encryption. If your web browser doesn’t display a lock icon at the bottom of the window when you visit a website, then that website may not secure your credit card information.
• Be sure to use and update existing firewall and anti-virus software to prevent website cookies, viruses and spyware from damaging your computer or exposing your personal files.
• There are a number of fake holiday e-card and song lyric websites, phony seasonal discount web pages, as well as various email scams that show up during the holidays. Make sure to research the legitimacy of each organization before making your purchase or donation. McAfee recently released an article covering the “12 Scams of Christmas” that offers additional advice on what to look out for online this holiday season.

Social Media Websites –

• It may be tempting to provide your friends and family with constant updates over Twitter and Facebook about your holiday activities and when you’ll be away on vacation; however, publicly posted personal information can help thieves determine the best methods to break into your online accounts or even your home.
• When updating your social media profiles for the holidays, it is a good idea to avoid posting potentially inappropriate or explicit photos that might hurt your chances of getting a new job or promotion (sometimes too much peppermint schnapps and a cell phone camera is not the best combination).
• Avoid clicking on shortened or masked URLs posted in social media status updates, blogs, forums and chat rooms, unless the post comes from a trusted source and is free from spam-related content.

Email Privacy –

• Never include private information such as passwords, social security numbers or credit card information in emails sent through common webmail providers. These emails often pass through several unsecure web servers, exposing your private information to hackers, spammers and identity thieves.
• When going on vacation, avoid setting up auto-rely email messages for your personal email account that might alert robbers that you are out of town.
• Avoid opening emails from any sender you don’t recognize, even if they appear to represent a legitimate organization. Many phishing schemes involve emails that ask you to “login” to your account to take part in a holiday offer or to verify sensitive account information.  In many cases, the links in these emails send you to a fake login page designed to steal your credit card number and personal information. If are unsure whether the email you received came from a legitimate representative, call the organization directly to confirm.

PrivacyHarbor.com provides a  private email service that prevents spam, scams, viruses and identity thieves from ever entering your inbox, which will help keep you and your family safe this holiday season. Purchase a PrivacyHarbor.com yearly or lifetime private email account through the month of December and we will donate 5 percent of your purchase to the Toys for Tots Foundation.

We are kicking off two special contest events this month that will offer Twitter and Facebook users a chance to win 12 free months of a private and secure, Executive email account.

Starting Tuesday, November 3, we will launch PrivacyHarbor’s Retweet Tuesdays on Twitter! Every Tuesday through December 11, check the PrivacyHarbor Twitter page at noon Pacific Time and retweet the specified message by Friday, 11:59 PM Pacific Time of that week for a chance to win one free year of a PrivacyHarbor Executive account!

We are also offering a chance to win one free year of an Executive account to new and existing fans of PrivacyHarbor on Facebook! Go to the PrivacyHarbor Facebook page, log on to Facebook and click “Become a fan” by Friday, December 11. Already a PrivacyHarbor Facebook fan? Current fans can win too if they refer a friend to become a fan of PrivacyHarbor’s Facebook page! A winner will be selected randomly on Friday, December 11.

Note: PrivacyHarbor employees, family members and vendors are not eligible to win the Retweet Tuesdays or Facebook Fans contests.

Best of luck to everyone and remember, the only way to win is to play!