Website Privacy Policy Effective Date: 5/27/2026 | Last Updated: 5/27/2026 

1. Who We Are

TechGuard Security, LLC ("TechGuard," "we," "us," or "our") is a cybersecurity company headquartered in O'Fallon, Illinois. We have provided cybersecurity solutions to businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions for more than 25 years.

2. What This Policy Covers

This policy covers personal data collected through www.techguard.com and related online channels — including contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, the careers page, event and webinar registrations, gated content downloads (such as whitepapers and case studies), our official social-media pages, and website analytics.

It does not govern personal data processed as part of a TechGuard service engagement (such as S.H.I.E.L.D. training platform data, DEFEND360 managed security service data, or data encountered during penetration testing). That processing is governed by the applicable client agreement and Data Processing Agreement (DPA). If you are a client with questions about how your data is handled within a TechGuard service, contact your account manager or [email protected].

3. Data We Collect Through This Website

3.1 Information You Give Us

Category	Examples	How Collected
Identity	First name, last name, company, job title	Contact forms, newsletter sign-up, and careers page
Contact	Email address, phone number, country	Contact forms, event interactions
Communications	Message content, inquiry details	Contact and Get Started forms
Career	Resume, cover letter, work history	Careers/job application submissions

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

Category	Examples
Technical	IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL
Usage	Pages visited, time on page, site search queries
Location (approximate)	Country and city inferred from IP address

We do not collect age range, gender, or similar demographic data except where explicitly provided by you.

4. Why We Collect It and Our Legal Basis

Purpose	Legal Basis (GDPR / UK GDPR)
Responding to contact form inquiries	Legitimate interest
Sending marketing emails (opted-in subscribers)	Consent
Website analytics and performance measurement	Consent (EU/UK/Brazil) / Legitimate interest (other)
Processing job applications	Legitimate interest / Pre-contractual steps
Fraud prevention and website security	Legitimate interest
Complying with legal obligations	Legal obligation

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time by emailing [email protected] or using the unsubscribe link in any marketing email. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Where we rely on legitimate interest, we have assessed that our interests in operating, securing, and growing the business are not overridden by your rights and interests. You may object at any time by contacting [email protected], and we will stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests or the processing is necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Global Privacy Control (GPC). Where required by applicable law (including California, Colorado, and Connecticut), we treat a recognized opt-out preference signal such as Global Privacy Control as a valid request to opt out of sale/sharing of personal information and of targeted advertising for the browser and device that sends the signal.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

TechGuard's website uses cookies and Google Tag Manager. Full details are in our Cookie Policy at www.techguard.com/cookie-policy.

Category	Purpose	Consent Required
Strictly necessary	Security, session management, form submission	No
Analytics	Google Analytics — site traffic and performance	Yes (EU/UK/Brazil)
Marketing	Ad conversion tracking, third-party advertiser tags	Yes (EU/UK/Brazil)

If you are visiting from the EU, UK, or Brazil, a consent banner appears before any non-essential cookies load. You can update your preferences anytime via the Cookie Preferences link in the footer.

6. How Long We Keep It

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, satisfy our legal, accounting, or reporting obligations, and resolve disputes. To determine the appropriate retention period, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the data; the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure; the purposes for which we process it; whether we can achieve those purposes through other means; and applicable legal requirements. When we no longer need personal data, we delete or anonymize it.

Data Category	Retention Period
Website analytics	13 months rolling
Marketing contacts (opted in)	Until opt-out or 3 years of inactivity
Contact form inquiries	3 years from last contact
Job applicant data (unsuccessful)	12 months after decision
Financial / billing records	7 years

7. Who We Share Data With

TechGuard does not sell or share your personal data for third-party advertising.

We share data with trusted service providers who process it on our behalf under written agreements, including:

• Cloud hosting and infrastructure providers that store website data
• Email and marketing platforms that deliver newsletters and respond to inquiries
• Analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) that help us measure website performance
• Applicant tracking systems that process job applications submitted through the careers page
• Customer relationship management (CRM) tools that help us follow up on business inquiries
• Professional advisors (legal, accounting, and audit) bound by confidentiality obligations

We may also disclose data where required by law, subpoena, or court order; in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of all or part of our business; or where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of TechGuard, our clients, our employees, or the public.

A full sub-processor list is available at www.techguard.com/sub-processors or on request.

8. International Data Transfers

TechGuard is based in the United States. If you are visiting from outside the US, your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the US or in other countries where TechGuard or its service providers operate. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country of residence.

TechGuard implements appropriate safeguards — including the transfer mechanisms listed below — to ensure your data receives a level of protection essentially equivalent to that required by your home jurisdiction. You may request a copy of the applicable safeguard by emailing [email protected].

Current transfer mechanisms:

Origin	Mechanism
EU / EEA	EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF) [if certified] and/or Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs, June 2021)
United Kingdom	UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or UK Addendum to EU SCCs
Brazil	Contractual clauses consistent with LGPD Article 33
Other jurisdictions	Appropriate contractual safeguards under local law

9. Your Rights

Your rights depend on where you live:

Right	EU/EEA	UK	California	Brazil
Access your data	✓	✓	✓	✓
Correct inaccurate data	✓	✓	✓	✓
Delete your data	✓	✓	✓	✓
Data portability	✓	✓	✓	✓
Object to processing	✓	✓	✓ (opt-out of sale)	✓
Restrict processing	✓	✓	—	✓
Withdraw consent	✓	✓	—	✓
Non-discrimination	—	—	✓	—

To submit a request: Email [email protected] with your name, email address, country of residence, and a description of your request. We acknowledge within 5 business days and respond within 30 days (EU/UK/Brazil) or 45 days (California). We may extend these timelines where permitted by law and will notify you of any extension.

Identity verification. To protect your data, we may ask you to verify your identity before we act on a request — typically by confirming information already on file or by requiring you to respond from the email address associated with your account.

Authorized agents. You may designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf. We may require the agent to provide signed permission and verify your identity directly.

No fee. We do not charge a fee to respond to a request unless it is manifestly unfounded, excessive, or repetitive, in which case we may charge a reasonable fee or decline to act as permitted by applicable law.

Appeals. If we decline a request in whole or in part, we will explain why. EU, UK, and Brazil residents may complain to their supervisory authority (see Section 13). California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, and other US-state residents with appeal rights may appeal our decision by replying to our response email within 45 days; we will respond within 60 days.

California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

TechGuard does not sell personal information. TechGuard does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Categories of personal information collected in the preceding 12 months: identifiers (name, email, IP address), professional information (company, job title), and internet activity (pages visited, site usage). We do not collect sensitive personal information as defined under CPRA beyond what is disclosed above, and we do not use or disclose sensitive personal information for any purpose other than those permitted under Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.121(a).

Retention. We retain each category of personal information for the periods set out in Section 6 ("How Long We Keep It"). We do not retain personal information for longer than is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

"Shine the Light" (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.83). California residents may request information about disclosures of personal information to third parties for those third parties' direct marketing purposes. TechGuard does not disclose personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

California residents may submit requests at [email protected] or [INSERT TOLL-FREE NUMBER]. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA/CPRA rights.

10. Children

TechGuard's website is directed to business and professional audiences and is not intended for children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or under 16 in the EU/EEA and UK, or under 18 where local law requires) through this website. If you believe TechGuard holds personal data about a child collected through this website, contact [email protected] and we will investigate and delete it promptly.

TechGuard's K-12 education program operates under separate agreements with school districts. Student data in that context is handled per the applicable DPA and COPPA and FERPA requirements. Questions about student data should be directed to the relevant school district or to [email protected].

11. Security

TechGuard applies technical and organizational security measures appropriate to the nature of data processed on this website, including TLS encryption in transit, encryption of sensitive data at rest, role-based access controls and least-privilege provisioning, multi-factor authentication for administrative access, logging and monitoring of website infrastructure, employee security awareness training, and regular vulnerability and penetration testing of our own infrastructure. We review these measures periodically and update them in response to emerging threats.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your personal data, we will notify affected individuals and supervisory authorities as required by applicable law (including GDPR Article 33/34, UK GDPR, LGPD Article 48, and US state breach-notification statutes) and within the timelines those laws require.

If you become aware of a security concern related to your data, contact [email protected].

12. Changes to This Policy

We will post updates to this policy at www.techguard.com/privacy-policy with a revised "Last Updated" date. For material changes — those that meaningfully affect how we collect, use, or share your personal data, or your rights with respect to that data — we will provide notice by email (to subscribers and recent inquirers) or by a prominent website notice at least 30 days before the changes take effect, where required by applicable law. We will maintain prior versions of this policy and make them available on request to [email protected].

13. Contact Us and File a Complaint

Email: [email protected]

Mail: TechGuard Security, LLC,
ATTN: Data Privacy Officer,
1722 Corporate Xing, Suite 1
O'Fallon, IL 62269

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority:

• EU/EEA: Your local data protection authority — edpb.europa.eu
• UK: Information Commissioner's Office — ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
• Brazil: Autoridade Nacional de Protecao de Dados (ANPD) — gov.br/anpd
• California: California Privacy Protection Agency — cppa.ca.gov

This policy governs data collected through www.techguard.com. Data processed in connection with TechGuard service engagements is governed by the applicable client agreement and Data Processing Agreement.