Nationwide Earns Kudos for Privacy

An independent survey recently named Nationwide as one of the Most Trusted Companies for Privacy. The Ponemon Institute and TRUSTe placed Nationwide on its top Top 10 list this year.

The Ponemon Institute, in conjunction with TRUSTe, conducted a two-stage survey that gauged the privacy policies and practices of more than 200 U.S. companies. The 20 companies rated most trusted in an unaided consumer survey moved on to expert review.

The experts tested policies, practices and execution for consistent care with regard to privacy issues. Their review included an evaluation of policies and practices as well as interaction with support staff.

"Being named a Most Trusted Company is a great honor for Nationwide," said Kirk Herath, chief privacy officer at Nationwide. "We pride ourselves in being a company that works hard to protect our customers' personal data, information and privacy."

The award is designed to celebrate the companies who take active measures to protect and inform their consumers and to encourage a safer online ecosystem.

"In an ongoing effort to make the Internet as safe and secure as possible, we consider it extremely important to honor those companies who are doing their part to contribute to that goal," said Frank Maier, executive director of TRUSTe. "A TRUSTe sealholder for six years, Nationwide Insurance has shown consistent dedication to protecting the privacy of its customers, and we applaud them for their efforts and strict compliance with our regulations."

TRUSTe helps consumers and businesses identify trustworthy online organizations through its Web Privacy Seal, Email Privacy Seal and Trusted Download Programs. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2007, TRUSTe certifies more than 2,400 Web sites, including the major internet portals and leading brands such as AOL, eBay, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft and Oracle.