Privacy Policy

1. 01Information We Collect

   When you create an account we collect your username, email address, and password (hashed, never stored in plain text), and whether you chose to get occasional emails from us. You can also add a real name, a short bio, and a profile picture; all three are optional. As you use the Platform we record activity such as challenges solved, courses completed, and login timestamps, along with the IP address each login came from and the country it points to, which we only ever count in aggregate. We do not collect payment information, because CyberAcad is free. If you send us a message through one of our forms (contact, class-code request, volunteer interest, or newsletter signup), we receive what you typed and your email address, and use it only to reply to you.

2. 02How We Use Your Information

   We use your information to: (a) operate and improve the Platform; (b) display your profile and rank; (c) send account emails such as sign-in codes and password resets, plus occasional emails about new courses and competitions if you opted in (you can turn those off at any time from your profile); (d) enforce our Terms of Service; (e) generate anonymized aggregate statistics about platform usage.

3. 03Cookies

   We set three strictly necessary cookies of our own: a session cookie to keep you logged in (set by our authentication system), a terminal authorization cookie to authorize WebSocket connections to your terminal instance, and a sidebar state cookie to remember your UI preference. None of ours are used for tracking or advertising. Every page also loads Google's tag (gtag.js), because we advertise through Google Ad Grants and need to know whether those ads lead to sign-ups. Google may set its own cookies and receives your IP address, browser details, and the pages you visit. When you create an account we tell Google a sign-up happened, along with an internal account ID; we never send your name, email, or progress. We have told Google not to use this data to personalize ads, and an ad or tracker blocker stops the tag entirely. Our donation page also embeds a payment form from Givebutter, which may set its own cookies. We do not run any other analytics or advertising trackers.

4. 04Data Sharing

   We do not sell or rent your personal data, and apart from the Google sign-up measurement described under Cookies, we do not share it with third parties for commercial purposes. Your username, rank, and activity (challenges solved, certificates) are visible to other users on the Platform as part of the community leaderboard and profile features. We may disclose data if required by law.

5. 05Terminal Instances

   Terminal (SSH) environments are ephemeral compute instances. We do not monitor the content of your terminal sessions beyond what is necessary to enforce our Terms of Service. Do not store sensitive personal data inside terminal instances. They may be reset or deleted at any time.

6. 06Data Retention

   Your account data is retained for as long as your account exists. If you delete your account, your personal information is removed within 30 days. Anonymized activity data (e.g., aggregate challenge solve counts) may be retained indefinitely for platform improvement.

7. 07Your Rights

   You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data. You can update your profile information from your account settings. To request full account deletion or a data export, contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

8. 08Security

   We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls on our infrastructure. No system is completely secure, so use a strong, unique password and enable any available account protections.

9. 09Children

   CyberAcad is intended for students aged 13 and over, and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are under 18, our Terms of Service require that a parent or guardian has reviewed and agreed to them on your behalf. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. 10Changes to This Policy

    We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of material changes by posting a notice on the Platform. Your continued use of CyberAcad after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Questions? Contact us at [email protected].