Privacy by Default®
When You Want More
Privacy by Default® is the practice of providing a service that automatically minimizes the exposure of and access to your personal data. You don’t have to opt into it. You don’t have to pay extra for it. Privacy by Default® is at the heart of why you get more when you choose Northwest Registered Agent.
If we can put our address on a document instead of yours, we do. If we can submit a form on your behalf with minimal personal information, we do. We design our services to limit exposure of your personal data, limit who can access your information, and limit what data we collect, so we can protect your personal information to the greatest possible extent. Automatically. And, of course, we never sell your data.
Why is Privacy by Default® Important?
Data is one of the most valuable commodities in the world. And companies across the globe quietly take your data and sell it at huge margins, sometimes making more money from your personal details than from whatever they allege is their primary product or service.
But downloading an app or signing up for a service shouldn’t have to cost you your privacy. You shouldn’t have to “opt out” of data sales or data sharing “with trusted partners.” You shouldn’t have to fight to keep your data private. You should have control over your own information.
Why? Because you are not a commodity. So you shouldn’t be up for sale.
At Northwest Registered Agent, we’ve translated these beliefs into a value we proudly stand behind: Privacy by Default®. We incorporate this value throughout our practices, from the services we offer to our core standards of privacy.
Get Privacy by Default® with Any of Our Services
Core Standards of Privacy
Northwest Registered Agent is leading the way, setting the standard for privacy in registered agent and business formation services. If other businesses in our industry can’t commit to the following standards that we uphold, frankly, they don’t deserve your business.
In our business, we deal with a lot of public documents and public information. Typically, anything listed on articles or annual reports becomes part of the permanent public record. That’s why we default to using our address any time we can when we file these documents, so your home address is kept as private as possible. And if a category requiring a name or address is optional? We leave it blank. You shouldn’t have to put any more of your information out into the world than you’re legally obligated to.
If you file documents with state agencies yourself, the state sees and potentially stores your private information. Your IP address. Your credit card number. Your bank info. When we submit filings on your behalf, the state sees our bank information and our IP address—not yours. In this way, we help minimize connections to your most sensitive personal data, making it more difficult for statewide data breaches to affect you and for spammers, advertisers, and others to follow you.
You’ll never have to “opt out” of data sales at Northwest because we don’t sell data. We strongly believe your data should be safe by default—not just after you jump through a bunch of hoops. You don’t have to call us or email us to take your name off a data sales list. There are no lists. We make our money providing quality, valuable services, not selling what doesn’t belong to us.
Not only do we never sell your data, but we work to ensure your data is safe with us. We have an in-house IT team providing layers of data protection security, from incorporating passwords and encryption to monitoring applications for anomalous use and cyber attacks. We have our own servers and backup servers. Even our individual computers have backup power supplies.
We also carefully control who can access your data. In house, only employees who need access to data have access. We do background checks before we hire. Our data management buildings are physically secure—people can’t just walk in off the street. And out of house? YOU can access your data. If you want your attorney notified when you receive service of process, you have to opt in and give us permission first. And if the police or a government agency wants your information? They better come with a warrant.
At Northwest, if we can build it, we do. We use relatively few plugins and outside programs or services. We don’t outsource filings, coding, customer service or IT. At the moment, we perform nearly every service in house, with a few exceptions, such as credit card processing (but hey, we’re looking into it!).
Our in-house IT team tests all new website applications for security vulnerabilities. In addition, applications are tested on regular basis to ensure no vulnerabilities develop. Our team is responsible for maintaining detailed records of any security issues detected and responding immediately to any that may develop.
Some of our services require sensitive info. If you want us to get an EIN for you, for example, we need your social security number. But we don’t ask for this number unless you tick the box for that service. For most services, all we need is contact information, payment information, and any relevant info about your business.
Our Privacy Policy
We don’t just pay lip service to these core standards. They’re an integral part of the services we provide. And they’re the foundation of our Privacy Policy.
We don’t have the standard cut-and-paste policy you’ll find on half the web that buries sketchy details in slippery legal language. We’ve given the same time, care and attention to our privacy policy as we do all our pages, ensuring it adheres to our core standards and uses the same clear, straightforward language we’re known for at Northwest.
We’re proud of our policy and make it easy to access—we link to our privacy policy at the bottom of every page on our site.
Privacy By Default® and Business Identity
Just like your personal identity, your Business Identity is the collection of details and qualities that—when combined—paint the full picture of your business. Your Business Identity includes the basics, like a name, EIN, and address. But it also encompasses the squishier aspects of your business, like whether or not your website feels modern, how memorable your domain name is, and how easy or difficult you make it for your customers to get in touch with you. All of this information, from your business name to your online vibe, adds up to something: a Business Identity.
We are in the business of creating Business Identities. We can supply each piece of your Business Identity, as you need it—from your registered agent address to your website to a federal trademark—within one account. Hit the ground running with a strong foundation and build as you go.
How your Business Identity Protects your Personal Identity
Without a Business Identity, you’ll find yourself relying on your personal identity to do business. This looks like:
- Handing out your personal phone number or email address to vendors.
- Giving out your social security number to banks or landlords.
- Listing your home address on the public record when you form an LLC.
- Posting your home address rather than a virtual office on your website.
- Reaching customers via your social media channels instead of a secure website.
- Listing your home phone number on your Google business profile.
All of these mistakes are easy to make, especially in the early days of your business. To start bringing in money, you’ll have to start talking to people pretty quickly. But when you start down this road, it’s hard to turn back. There are often permanent consequences to mixing your personal and business identities.
Here’s how using your personal identity for business could affect you:
- Scammers, marketers, and even disgruntled customers can find your home address.
- You will start getting tons of spam calls and texts.
- Your business will look unprofessional and lose credibility.
- Elements of your brand (like your domain name) are vulnerable.
- You may risk losing liability protection.
We are a Business Identity service. Everything we do is built with privacy as the foundation. We think you should be able to run a successful business and live a peaceful home life, without one undermining the other.
Here’s what a privacy-focused Business Identity looks like:
- Articles of Organization filed using your registered agent’s address.
- An LLC ready to go with an EIN, phone number, email address, and website.
- A professional domain name with domain privacy included.
- A virtual office address you can give out to third parties.
- Intellectual property that you own and can take with you, should you decide to switch providers.
- All of these services managed in one account with a registered agent dedicated to protecting your information.
If privacy is important to you, you can trust us to keep your information safe.
Let us help you start or maintain your business.
Get Privacy by Default®
