MySearchGUARDIAN

Privacy Policy

Your protection is our goal.

Thank you for choosing us to help protect your digital life from theft, disruption, and unauthorized access to your personal information and devices. This Notice provides more information about the data we use for security purposes and our commitment to using the personal data we collect in a respectful fashion.

Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice has been updated on September 15th, 2015 to make some edits for readability and clarity.

This Privacy Notice is designed to inform you about how your personal information is collected, managed, and used to:

o Safeguard your devices and protect your data;

o Personalize and manage our relationship with you;

o Investigate, respond, and manage security related incidents and events;

o Improve security related products and services; and

o Predict future security threats and vulnerabilities.

By collecting and processing data, we can help to predict threats and better protect you, your devices, and your information. Security Software Limited would like to help you understand how your data is processed, why it takes data to protect data, and our commitment to using the personal data we collect for the purposes discussed in this Notice. Every time you turn on a device, connect to a network or open a file, you are exposed to significant risk from spammers, hackers, malware, spyware, and other forms of unauthorized access to your data and systems. This is why it is important to use security products and services such as Security Software Limited’s to keep you and your data safe. To defend against these threats and the thousands of new threats that emerge each day, Security Software Limited may:

  • Analyze data sent to/from your device(s) for risks, threats, vulnerabilities, suspicious activity, and attacks;
  • Assess the reputation of the sending/receiving device to determine whether access should be allowed or if the transaction should be continued;
  • Share data with threat intelligence networks to improve our products, services, and overall internet security; and
  • Adapt responses to new threats based on intelligence collected from your device and our global network. An overview of our privacy practices is set forth below. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Scope

This Privacy Notice applies to personal information we obtain from individuals interacting with Security Software Limited and our websites, products, services, and applications. This Notice does not apply to personal information we obtain in our capacity as an employer; employment related data is covered under separate policies and/or notices.

Notice

We provide access to our Privacy Notice by:

  • Linking to it throughout our websites;
  • Referencing it in our Terms of Use and End User License Agreements; and
  • Incorporating it into our contracts, agreements, and other documents as necessary or appropriate.

The Information we collect

Security Software Limited collects some information that is personal (i.e., information that identifies an individual either alone or in combination with other data). Security Software Limited also collects non- personal information that does not, on its own, identify an individual person. When non-personal information is combined with other information so that it does identify an individual person, we treat that combination as personally identifiable information.

Security Software Limited obtains personal information when you or someone acting on your behalf provides it to us. We also collect information when you obtain or use Security Software Limited products or services or when you use a device with Security Software Limited products or services installed. The following are examples of the type of personal information that may be collected directly from you (or someone acting on your behalf):

  • Contact information (including name, email address, social media ID/handle, mailing address, telephone, and fax number);
  • Payment information (including payment card and bank account information);
  • Shipping, billing, and other information provided in connection with the purchase or delivery of Security Software Limited products and services;
  • Information about transactions with us (such as purchase history) and use of our products and services;
  • Information provided by you through Security Software Limited-related communication channels such as forums, technical support, and customer service;
  • Username, password, and other information used to verify identity; and
  • Photographs, images, biometrics, and related hash values.

The following are examples of the type of information that may be collected by Security Software Limited from your web browser or from interactions with our products and services:

  • Details about your computers, devices, applications, and networks (including IP address, browser characteristics, device ID and characteristics, operating system, system language, and preferences);
  • Activities on our websites and usage patterns of products and services (including referring URLs, dates and times of website visits, and clickstream data such as information commonly recorded in web server logs);
  • Details about Internet or network usage (including URLs or domain names of websites you visit, information about applications that attempt to access your network, or traffic data);
  • Data about files and communications, such as potential malware or spam (which may include computer files, emails and attachments, email addresses, metadata, and traffic data, or portions or hashes — a hash file is a file that has been converted into a numerical string by a mathematical algorithm — of any of this information); this may include similar information from third parties interacting with you;
  • Other information used in the operation of our products and services (including information regarding the number of checked, suspicious, infected, or unwanted files or emails; number of actual infections); and
  • Information that may be included in a virus or malware sample or a file submitted by you to Security Software Limited for review.

IP Addresses

An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device (e.g., computer, printer, mobile phone, server) participating in a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. It is how devices find each other on a network.

While it is possible that IP addresses can be associated with a single individual’s device, they most often are associated with a group of systems, one system shared by many users, or a gateway into a group of systems or devices. For instance, IP addresses included in an email communication are typically associated with the respective email service provider and not with an individual user’s device.

Security Software Limited security products and services use IP addresses to protect your information, your devices, and your data. For example, we may detect that a system or a group of systems associated with a particular IP address has been compromised and is sending malware or spam to some of our users. Even without identifying who owns the compromised system or who compromised it, we can assign a score to that IP address to reflect the heightened threat it poses. Our products and services can then divert your traffic away from this IP address or block this IP address from sending malware to your Security Software Limited-protected device before your device is a victim of an attack.

The use of IP addresses and other machine data is necessary to keep security protections current, relevant, and effective as cyber threats and attacks evolve over time.

Cookies

Security Software Limited uses “cookies” to remember user preferences and to maximize the performance of our website and services. Additionally, cookies help us to identify returning users so, for example, we don’t need to ask them to enter their email and password on every visit.

Please note the information gathered by cookies is necessary to provide some Security Software Limited services, including certain subscriptions. We cannot provide such services to users who do not give their consent to the data processing carried out through cookies or whose browsers are set to reject all cookies. For example, when you purchase a subscription to an online technology, a cookie is set that identifies the software, version, and when it expires. We use this information to alert you that a newer version is available or if your subscription is going to expire.

Cookies may also be used to control the type and frequency of ads, promotions, or other marketing messages the customer views. These ads may be placed by Security Software Limited or third-party advertising companies which are our vendors. Security Software Limited may also use “web beacons” (small transparent image files) to count visitors to our sites and analyze how visitors use our sites. The information collected is generally anonymized and is not used to identify any particular user.

Security Software Limited also maintains log files of the traffic on our sites. For example, our servers may automatically record the information you or your browser send when you visit a website. These log files may include information such as your requests, IP address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your system.

For more information about cookies and how Security Software Limited responds to “do no track” signals, please see our Cookie Notice.

Use of the Personal Information we collect

Security Software Limited uses the information we collect in ways that serve your security needs and privacy preferences, including to:

  • Provide threat prediction and protection products and services;
  • Provide security advisories, information, and product updates;
  • Conduct research and analysis (for example, market and consumer research, security research and analysis, and trend analysis);
  • Analyse users’ behaviour when using Security Software Limited products and services to customize preferences;
  • Establish and manage Security Software Limited accounts;
  • Collect and process payments and complete transactions;
  • Provide customer support, manage subscriptions, and respond to requests, questions and comments;
  • Communicate about, and administer participation in, special events, programs, surveys, contests, sweepstakes, and other offers and promotions;
  • Enable posting on our blogs and other communications;
  • Customize, measure, and improve our websites, products, services, and advertising;
  • Analyse and develop new products, services, and websites;
  • Perform accounting, auditing, billing, reconciliation, and collection activities;
  • Prevent detect, identify, investigate, respond, and protect against potential or actual claims, liabilities, prohibited behaviour, and criminal activity;
  • Comply with and enforce applicable legal requirements, agreements, and policies; and
  • Perform other activities consistent with this Notice.

Products and Services Data Processing

If you install or use one of our products or services, software will operate in the background of your computer system or device environment to perform specific security and privacy tasks including:

  • SPAM protection;
  • Virus protection;
  • Intrusion detection, prevention, and protection;
  • Threat Prevention and Prediction;
  • Network Defence;
  • Data Encryption;
  • Mobile Device Lockdown; and
  • Back-up and recovery activities.

Product Updating and Reporting

Our products and services may also process certain data to provide updates and reports. These update functions may check your system to see whether files relating to the services need to be refreshed or modernized.

For example, products and services may transmit report files to McAfee. These files contain information, including the number of checked, suspicious, infected, or unwanted files or emails, the number of infections, the date and hash values of the detected infections, and the number of false negatives/false positives. The purpose of these reports is to analyse the frequency of particular infections or the prevalence of threats. Security Software Limited also uses the information to adapt the product to conform to user preferences based on actual use.

Personal Information We Share

We may share personal information with:

  • Other members of the Security Software Limited family of companies for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice, such as to: (i) provide services and joint content (e.g., registration, sales, and customer support); (ii) help detect and prevent potentially illegal acts and violations of our policies; and (iii) guide our decisions about our products, services, and communications;
  • Authorized service providers and partners who perform services for us (including data storage, sales, marketing, fraud investigations, and bill collection) based on our instructions. These third parties may only use or disclose personal information obtained from Security Software Limited to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal obligations;
  • Third parties with your consent. For example, co-marketing with a business partner or sharing limited information as necessary with researchers and analysts; or
  • Any third party that may take over all or part of Security Software Limited’s functions in the future (provided that such party agrees to use such personal information in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Notice).

We may also disclose personal information: (i) if we are required to do so by law or legal process; (ii) in response to requests by government agencies, such as law enforcement authorities or other authorized third-parties; (iii) as may be required for purposes of national security; (iv) when we believe disclosure is necessary and appropriate to prevent physical, mental, financial, or other harm, injury, or loss; or (v) in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal or inappropriate activity or exposure to liability.

We may also combine it with other information to provide and improve our products, services, content, and advertising.

When we share personal information with a third party, they must contractually agree to comply with privacy and security standards at least as stringent as Security Software Limited’s when we are handling similar data. When you provide data directly to the third party, the processing is based on their standards (which may not be the same as Security Software Limited’s) and your own independent relationship with that provider.

Your California Privacy Rights – Shine the Light Law

Security Software Limited does not share your personal information with non-affiliated third parties for their own marketing use without your permission.

Security

We use administrative, organizational, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the personal information we collect and process. Our security controls are designed to maintain an appropriate level of data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. We regularly test our website, data centres, systems, and other common for security vulnerabilities.

Security Software Limited handles payment card data in a manner consistent with the Payment Card Industry’s Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS). For example, when you make a payment on our website using your credit card, we use SSL encryption for transmission of the credit card number.

How you can manage and control your personal information

We offer certain choices about how we communicate with our users and what personal information we obtain about them. Many Security Software Limited products allow users to make choices about the personal information collected.

  • You may choose not to receive marketing communications from us by clicking on the unsubscribe link or other instructions in our marketing emails.
  • Many Security Software Limited products contain settings that allow users or administrators to control how the products collect information. Please refer to the relevant product manual or contact us through the appropriate technical support channel for assistance.
  • To remove your personal information from a Security Software Limited website testimonial, please contact customer service.

If you chose to no longer receive marketing information, Security Software Limited may still communicate with you regarding such things as security updates, product functionality, responses to service requests, or other transactional, non-marketing/administrative related purposes.

Data Retention

The time periods for which we retain your personal information depend on the purposes for which we use it. Security Software Limited will keep your personal information for as long as you are a registered subscriber or user of our products and, thereafter, for no longer than is required by law, or Security Software Limited’s Records Retention Policy, reasonably necessary for internal reporting and reconciliation purposes, or to provide you with feedback or information you might request. In certain circumstances, we may be required to retain data we have about you (such as for tax, litigation (threatened, anticipated, or actual), other business purposes, or if required by law enforcement).

Storage of the information we collect from you

The information we collect may be stored and processed in servers in the United States and wherever Security Software Limited and our service providers have facilities around the globe.

Children’s Privacy

Security Software Limited complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of the United States of America and similar laws around the world where applicable. Security Software Limited does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without proper parental consent.

Data Transfer

We may transfer the personal information we obtain to countries other than the country in which the information originally was collected. Those countries may not have as comprehensive data protection laws as the country from which Security Software Limited initially obtained the information. When we transfer the information to other countries, we will protect that information as described in this Privacy Notice.

If you are located in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, we comply with applicable legal requirements providing adequate protection for the transfer of personal information to countries outside of the EEA or Switzerland.

Updating the Privacy Notice

We may update this Notice at any time by posting additions or modifications on this web page. If at any point we decide to use personal information in a manner materially different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify users by email, via a prominent notice on our website, or other such means. And, where required, we will seek appropriate consent prior to the new use.

Links to Other Websites

Our websites may contain links to other websites for your convenience and information. These websites may be operated by companies not affiliated with Security Software Limited. Linked websites may have their own privacy policies or notices, which we strongly suggest you review if you visit any linked websites. We are not responsible for the content of any websites that are not affiliated with Security Software Limited, any use of those websites, or the privacy practices of those websites.

In certain circumstances, where the information of third parties is collected by us by virtue of the third-party’s interaction with you (such as the information of those individuals who send communications to your computer), we rely on you to provide the relevant third parties with appropriate notice and to obtain any requisite consent.

Your agreement to our Privacy Notice

You expressly consent to Security Software Limited’s processing of information as described in this Privacy Notice when you:

  • Visit and/or provide information to us through our websites;
  • Buy, license, and use our products or services and accept the Terms of Use, EndUser License Agreement, and Privacy Notice; or
  • Sign a contract with Security Software Limited to purchase or subscribe to products and services.

In addition, by using and interacting with Security Software Limited products, services, or websites, you affirmatively consent to our collection and processing of personal information: (a) to provide the intended functionality of a product or service; (b) by automated means, such as cookies or web beacons; and (c) in accordance with this Privacy Notice. You also consent to the storage and transfer of the information to locations wherever Security Software Limited and our service providers have facilities, including the United States.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Notice, or would like to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by:

  • Emailing Security Software Limited, Inc. at privacy@preventon.com
  • If you do not receive a prompt response, please contact Security Software Limited by emailing support @preventon.com