Privacy Policy

Introduction

Thank you for visiting the Department of Civil Service (Department) website. Consistent with the Internet Security and Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Law, and Personal Privacy Protection Law, the Department's privacy policy outlines what information is collected from users of our site and how that information is stored. It is highly recommended that you review privacy policies on any websites that you frequent.

For purposes of this policy, "personal information" refers to any information concerning a natural person, as opposed to a corporate entity, which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The Department only collects personal information about you when you provide that information voluntarily by sending an email or by initiating an online transaction, such as a survey, registration, or order form.

Information Collected Automatically When You Visit Our Website

Certain information is collected automatically when you visit this website. When visiting our website, be advised that information, including Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain names, is automatically logged to provide technical support for the website and its associated computer systems, to diagnose system performance or problem areas, and to detect attempts to damage or gain unauthorized access to the website and its associated computer systems.

When visiting this website, the Department automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:

  • The IP address and domain name of your internet service provider — the IP address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your internet service provider or directly to your computer, which can be used to direct internet traffic to you
  • The type of browser and operating system you used
  • The date and time you visited this site
  • The web pages or services you accessed at this site
  • The Universal Resource Identifier (URL) or website address of the website you visited prior to coming to this website and from which any web page on this site was linked
  • If you downloaded a form, the form that was downloaded

None of the foregoing information constitutes personal information.

The information listed above is collected to determine what information is most and least relevant to our users, and to improve the quality of available material on our website. Statistical analysis may be undertaken to determine which portions of the website are visited most frequently. This information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes. The Department does not sell or otherwise disclose information collected from our website for commercial or marketing purposes.

Cookies

Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser that provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among internet websites. The Department uses "session cookies" to customize your visits to our website. Session cookies can be created automatically on the device you use to access this state agency website. These session cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security. Session cookies may be used to store a randomly generated identifier on your computing device, so you do not need to re-enter certain information every time you visit our site. A session cookie is erased during the operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.

To access some services available on our site, you will need login credentials. The login process ensures the identity of individual users conducting business at our site. The Department uses cookies to track successful logins, the duration of visits to the website, and active requests for information from our site. While login credentials uniquely identify users, the credentials do not contain any information that would be considered personal or useful beyond the context of website activity.

You may wish to view or remove cookies stored in your browser or control which sites you accept cookies from. Please be aware that removing cookies will limit the availability of certain features on our website. For example, you will not be able to apply for Civil Service examinations without enabling cookies.

Information Collected When You Email this Website or Initiate an Online Transaction Through this Website

During your visit to this website, you may send an email to the Department. Your email address and the contents of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to text, and may include audio, video, and/or graphics information included in the message. Your email address and the content of your message will be used to:

  • Respond to you
  • Address issues you identify
  • Improve this website
  • Forward your message to another state agency for appropriate action

Your email address is not collected for commercial purposes and the Department is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your email address for commercial purposes.

During your visit to this website you may complete a transaction such as a survey, registration, or order form. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in completing the transaction is used by the Department to operate programs, which include the provision of goods, services, and information. The information collected by the Department may be disclosed for those purposes reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in which the information was submitted.

To use certain portions of our site, you will be required to login. To obtain login credentials you will be required to provide certain information. You are never required to share personal information with us; however, to use certain portions of our site and conduct certain transactions, you may be asked to provide such information.

The Department uses credit card processing companies to bill users for examination fee services. The Department does not store personal credit card information on its website. Personal information, including credit card numbers, is shared with these entities to complete transactions. These entities are restricted from using this information for any other purpose.

The Department commonly conducts surveys to improve our programs and services. Unless otherwise stated, survey responses are anonymous, and are sent to us with no identifying information whatsoever.

The Department does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create profiles of children through this website. Users are cautioned, however, that the collection of personal information submitted in an email will be treated as though it was submitted by an adult, and may, unless exempt from access by federal or State law, be subject to public access. The Department strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information online.

Information and Choice

As noted above, the Department does not collect any personal information. That information is provided voluntarily. You may choose not to send us an email, respond to a survey, or complete an online form. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this website, it will not have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of our website.

Disclosure of Information Collected Through this Website

The collection of information through this website and the disclosure of that information are subject to the provisions of the Internet Security and Privacy Act. The Department will only collect personal information through this website or disclose personal information collected through this website if the user has consented to the collection or disclosure of such personal information. The voluntary disclosure of personal information to the Department by the user constitutes consent to the collection and disclosure of the information by the Department as was reasonably ascertainable from the nature and terms of the disclosure.

However, the Department may collect or disclose personal information without consent if the collection or disclosure is:

  • Necessary to perform the statutory duties of the Department, or necessary for the Department to operate a program authorized by law, or authorized by state or federal statute or regulation
  • Made pursuant to a court order or by law
  • For validating the identity of the user
  • Information to be used solely for statistical purposes that is in a form that cannot be used to identify any person

Further, the disclosure of information, including personal information, collected through this website is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law and Personal Privacy Protection Law.

The Department may disclose personal information to federal or state law enforcement authorities to enforce its rights against unauthorized access or attempted unauthorized access to its information technology assets.

Retention of Information Collected Through this Website

The information collected through this website is retained by the Department in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the New York State Arts & Cultural Affairs Law. Information on the requirements of the Arts & Cultural Affairs Law is available at: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ACA/57.05.

In general, the internet services logs of the Department, comprising electronic files or automated logs created to monitor access and use of agency services provided through this website, are retained by our hosting company for one calendar month and then destroyed. Information, including personal information, that you submit in an email or when you initiate an online transaction such as a survey, registration form, or order form is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information. Information concerning these records retention and disposition schedules may be obtained through the Internet Privacy Policy contact listed in this policy.

Access to and Correction of Personal Information Collected Through this Website

Any user may submit a request to the Department's Privacy Compliance Officer to determine whether personal information pertaining to that user has been collected through this website. Any such request shall be made, in writing, and must be accompanied by reasonable proof of identity of the user. Reasonable proof of identity may include verification of a signature, inclusion of an identifier generally known only to the user, or similar appropriate identification. The address of the Privacy Compliance Officer is:

Public Information Office
NYS Department of Civil Service
Albany, NY 12239

The Privacy Compliance Officer shall, within five (5) business days of the receipt of a proper request: provide access to the personal information; deny access in writing, explaining the reasons therefore; or acknowledge the receipt of the request in writing, stating the approximate date when the request will be granted or denied, which date shall not be more than thirty (30) days from the date of the acknowledgment.

If the Department has collected personal information pertaining to a user through its website and that information is to be provided to the user pursuant to the user's request, the Privacy Compliance Officer shall inform the user of his or her right to request that the personal information be amended or corrected under the procedures set forth in section 95 of the Public Officers Law.

Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through this Website

The Department is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Consequently, the Department limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information follow appropriate procedures regarding the disclosure of personal information.

In addition, the Department through the NYS Office for Information Technology Services has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including but not limited to, authentication, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of a continuing commitment to the security of electronic content and electronic transmission of information.

For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, the Department employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof the security of information provided through this website.

Contact Information

For questions regarding our Internet Privacy Policy, please contact: pio@cs.ny.gov.