Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 15, 2026  |  Last Updated: April 15, 2026

CyberAware Initiative ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at cyberawareinitiative.com (the "Site"). Please read this policy carefully. By using the Site, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Voluntarily

We may collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Fill out our contact form (name, email address, message)
• Subscribe to our newsletter (email address)
• Apply for membership or volunteer opportunities
• Make a donation (processed by a third-party payment provider — we do not collect or store payment card information)
• Register for an event or training program

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit the Site, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website or source
• IP address (anonymized where possible)
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)

This information is collected through Google Analytics and is used solely to understand how visitors interact with our Site so we can improve it.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To respond to your inquiries and contact form submissions
• To send newsletters and updates you have subscribed to
• To process membership applications and volunteer signups
• To improve our website, programs, and services
• To analyze website traffic and usage patterns
• To comply with legal obligations
• To report organizational impact to grant funders (in aggregate, anonymized form only)

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We use third-party services to operate our Site and programs (e.g., Formspree for contact forms, Google Analytics for website analytics, donation processors for payments). These providers only receive the information necessary to perform their services and are obligated to protect it.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government request.
• Organizational safety: We may share information to protect the rights, property, or safety of CyberAware Initiative, our members, or the public.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. Specifically:

• Analytics cookies: Google Analytics uses cookies to collect anonymized data about website traffic. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
• Essential cookies: Some cookies may be necessary for the Site to function properly (e.g., remembering your form submission state).

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some functionality of the Site.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. Specifically:

• Contact form submissions are retained for up to 12 months
• Newsletter subscriber information is retained until you unsubscribe
• Membership and volunteer records are retained for the duration of your involvement plus 3 years
• Donation records are retained as required by tax and non-profit reporting laws

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request that we delete your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from our newsletter at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us directly

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@cyberawareinitiative.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Data Security

As a cybersecurity organization, we take the security of your data seriously. We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., CISA, NIST, SANS, OWASP, donation platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us.

10. Vermont-Specific Provisions

CyberAware Initiative is established in Vermont. We comply with applicable Vermont state privacy laws. Vermont residents may have additional rights under Vermont law regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information. If you are a Vermont resident and have questions about your privacy rights, please contact us.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Continued use of the Site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

CyberAware Initiative
Vermont, USA
Email: info@cyberawareinitiative.com