Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

HetGuard ("we", "us", or "our") operates the HetGuard service, accessible at hetguard.com and app.hetguard.com. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights regarding that information.

By using the Service you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

Information you provide directly:

• Account information: Name and email address when you register.
• Payment information: Billing details (card number, billing address) collected and processed by Stripe. We never store raw card details on our servers.
• Hetzner API tokens: Read/write API tokens you provide to connect your Hetzner Cloud account. These are stored encrypted at rest and used solely to perform snapshot operations on your behalf.
• Contact messages: Name, email address, and message content when you submit our contact form.

Information collected automatically:

• Log data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, timestamps, and referring URLs when you access the Service.
• Usage data: Backup job configurations, snapshot counts, notification settings, and other activity within the Service.
• Cookies and local storage: We use a minimal number of cookies necessary for authentication and session management. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.

3. How We Use Your Information

Purpose	Information used	Legal basis
Provide and operate the Service	Account info, API tokens, usage data	Contract performance
Process payments and manage subscriptions	Account info, payment info (via Stripe)	Contract performance
Send transactional emails (alerts, receipts, password resets)	Email address	Contract performance
Respond to support and contact form enquiries	Name, email, message	Legitimate interest
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents	Log data, usage data	Legitimate interest
Improve and develop the Service	Aggregated, anonymised usage data	Legitimate interest
Comply with legal obligations	As required by law	Legal obligation

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your data to serve you advertisements.

4. Third-Party Services

We share data with the following third parties only to the extent necessary to operate the Service:

• Stripe — payment processing and subscription management. Stripe stores and processes your billing information under their own Privacy Policy.
• Hetzner Cloud — snapshot operations are performed via the Hetzner Cloud API using the token you provide. Your use of Hetzner Cloud is subject to Hetzner's terms and privacy policy.
• Amazon Web Services (SES) — transactional email delivery (password resets, backup failure alerts, billing receipts). Emails are transmitted through AWS infrastructure in accordance with AWS's Privacy Policy.

We do not share your personal information with any other third parties except where required by law or with your explicit consent.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored on servers within the European Union. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS.
• Encryption of sensitive fields (such as API tokens) at rest.
• Access controls that limit data access to authorised personnel only.
• Regular security reviews and dependency updates.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

• Account data: Retained for the life of your account, plus 30 days after deletion to allow for recovery and complete any pending billing obligations.
• Log data: Retained for up to 90 days for security and debugging purposes.
• Backup job and snapshot history: Retained until you delete it or close your account.
• Contact form messages: Retained for up to 12 months.

After the applicable retention period, data is permanently deleted or anonymised.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected.
• Deletion: Request that your personal data be deleted ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal and contractual obligations.
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Restriction: Request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interest.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@hetguard.com. We will respond within 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on a request.

8. Cookies

We use a small number of cookies strictly necessary to operate the Service:

• Authentication cookies: Used to keep you logged in during your session.
• CSRF tokens: Used to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks.

We do not use analytics, advertising, or third-party tracking cookies. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may prevent you from using authenticated areas of the Service.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and notify you by email or via an in-app notice. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

• Email: hello@hetguard.com
• Contact form: hetguard.com/contact