Privacy Policy

At Cipher Knights Academy ("we," "us," "our," or the "Academy"), we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website [cipherknightsacademy.com] and use our online training platform (collectively, the "Services").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our Services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with the practices described, you should not use our Services.

This policy is designed to comply with international data protection regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us and information about your use of our Services.

a) Information You Provide to Us:

• Account Information: When you register, we collect your name, email address, password, and country of residence.
• Profile Information: You may choose to provide additional information such as a profile picture, biography, job title, or social media links.
• Payment Information: When you make a purchase, our payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) collect your credit/debit card details and billing address. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.
• Communications: Contents of your communications with us (e.g., support tickets, emails) and with instructors or other students on our platform (e.g., forum posts, course reviews).
• Coursework and Lab Data: Information you submit in connection with courses, such as lab results, completed assignments, and exam scores.

b) Information Collected Automatically:

• Usage Data: We collect data about your interaction with the Services, such as courses accessed, time spent on pages, videos watched, progress, and completion rates.
• Device and Log Data: We automatically collect information from your device, including IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, device identifiers, and crash data.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and hold certain information. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To create, maintain, and secure your account.
• To process your transactions and send you related information, including confirmations and invoices.
• To provide, personalize, and improve the Services, including recommending courses and content.
• To communicate with you about products, services, offers, promotions, and events, and provide other news or information which we think will be of interest to you (you can opt-out of marketing communications at any time).
• To monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with our Services for business operations and security.
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or illegal activities.
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights.

Legal Basis for Processing (EEA/UK Users): We process your personal data on the following legal bases: (a) your consent; (b) the performance of a contract with you (e.g., providing the courses you purchase); (c) our legitimate interests (e.g., improving our Services, marketing); and (d) compliance with legal obligations.

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your information in the following situations:

• With Instructors: Instructors of courses you enroll in will receive your name and email address to facilitate course delivery and interaction. They are contractually bound to handle your data confidentially and only for Academy-related purposes.
• With Service Providers: We share data with trusted third-party vendors who provide services on our behalf, such as payment processing, data analysis, email delivery, hosting services, customer service, and marketing efforts. These vendors are prohibited from using your information for any other purpose.
• For Legal Reasons: We may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect and defend our rights or property, prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service, protect the personal safety of users, or protect against legal liability.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred to the new entity.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

4. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside [Your Country] and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer the data to [Your Country] and process it there.

For transfers of data from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to countries not deemed to have an adequate level of data protection, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, to protect your personal data.

5. Data Retention

We will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, including to fulfill legal or regulatory obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

We typically retain account information for as long as your account is active. If you wish to delete your account, please see Section 7 (Your Data Protection Rights).

6. How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. These measures include encryption, access controls, and secure server infrastructure. However, while we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

7. Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on your location, you have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include:

• Right to Access: The right to request copies of your personal data.
• Right to Rectification: The right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): The right to request that we erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: The right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: The right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
• Right to Object to Processing: The right to object to our processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 10 (Contact Us). We will respond to your request within one month, as required by law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country of residence.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18 ("Children"). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your Child has provided us with personal data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from Children without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We will also endeavor to provide you with notice via email and/or a prominent notice on our Service prior to the change becoming effective. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer at:

Cipher Knights Academy
Attn: Data Protection Officer
Email: privacy@cipherknightsacademy.com
Support: support@cipherknightsacademy.com