Privacy Notice.

At a glance

We collect only what we need to run classes and answer questions. We protect access to your records, and we do not sell your personal information.

Some sessions may be photographed or recorded. We will tell you in advance and explain your choices. You can contact us at any time about your information.

1. Our commitment to your privacy

Shielded in Dignity® provides cyber-safety education for older adults, caregivers, families, and communities. BlackCrest Cyber, LLC ("we," "us," "our") operates this program. This notice explains how we collect, use, share, protect, and keep personal information. We collect only the information needed for the purposes described here.

2. Information we collect

You, or someone authorized to act for you, may give us your name, email, optional telephone number, class registration and attendance, organization, accommodation requests, inquiries, communications, and consent choices.

Caregivers, family members, or host organizations may provide information on a participant's behalf. We ask them to share only information they are authorized to share.

Our website and service providers may process technical information needed for operation and security. This includes your IP address, browser information, request timestamps, and limited network and security logs. At checkout, we use your approximate location, determined from your IP address, to calculate applicable taxes. Ordinary class registration does not require a participant account.

Please do not submit Social Security numbers, banking credentials, passwords, medical records, or other sensitive information in general forms. For accommodation requests, share only what is necessary. A diagnosis is not required.

When online payment is offered for paid programs, Stripe-hosted Checkout processes payment-card information. We do not collect or store full card numbers or security codes. We may receive payment status, transaction references, amounts, and refund details.

3. How we use information

We use information to process registrations and attendance; communicate about programs; respond to inquiries and accessibility requests; manage host relationships; calculate taxes and reconcile payments and refunds; protect systems; comply with law; and evaluate how well our programs work.

Optional program evaluation surveys help us improve. We may share de-identified or combined findings with hosts, funders, and other partners, and may use de-identified results in research or publications.

We will ask your permission before using any quotation or story that could identify you, even with your name removed. Any research or publication that uses identifiable information will require advance notice, your permission, and any required ethics review.

4. Optional communications

Messages about future programs are optional and separate from registration. The marketing choice is unchecked by default. You may unsubscribe or contact us to withdraw it at any time. We may still send necessary messages about your registration.

5. Sharing and service providers

We may share limited information with providers that support hosting, database services, event communications, virtual meetings, and payment processing, under appropriate agreements and safeguards. We may disclose information when required by law or reasonably necessary for safety or security.

We do not sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising.

If a host organization will receive your name or attendance information from us, we will tell you at registration and explain why. When a host organization or an external registration service, such as Eventbrite, handles registration, that organization's or service's own privacy practices govern the information it collects.

Information may be transferred as part of a merger, sale, restructuring, or similar business transaction, subject to applicable law and appropriate protections.

6. Security

We use restricted staff access, multifactor authentication for privileged users, server-side authorization, database access controls, encrypted (HTTPS) connections, and provider-managed encryption at rest. No system can guarantee absolute security.

7. Records retention and secure disposal

We keep a documented records schedule based on record type, business purpose, and applicable Maryland, federal, other state, contractual, grant, and tax requirements. We do not apply one period to all records.

Where several requirements apply, we follow the longest required period. Where law sets no specific period, we set a documented, proportionate period based on operational need. After that period, and absent a legal hold, dispute, investigation, or other lawful reason to keep records, information is securely deleted, de-identified, or disposed of under approved procedures.

Records we classify separately include:

• Event registrations and attendance
• Inquiries
• Accommodation requests
• Session recordings and photographs
• Program evaluation survey responses
• Payment and tax records
• Consent records
• Security and audit logs

Exact periods and disposal triggers are kept in our approved records schedule.

8. Your privacy choices

You may ask to see, correct, or delete your personal information, or withdraw optional marketing consent, by contacting support@blackcrestcyber.com or 202-930-3108.

We may take reasonable steps to confirm your identity or the authority of someone acting for you, without asking for unnecessary sensitive information. We review requests under applicable law and any continuing obligation to keep certain records.

9. Cookies and website technologies

No tracking or nonessential cookies. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party analytics, behavioral profiling, or marketing pixels on our public website. Our public pages, inquiry forms, and event registration do not set cookies or use browser storage.

Website security. Our hosting and security providers may use strictly necessary technical measures, which can include security cookies, to keep the website available and prevent misuse. These are not used for advertising or tracking.

Staff access. Authorized BlackCrest Cyber staff who sign in to our private operations portal use browser storage to keep their sessions secure. This applies only to staff, not to public visitors.

Web fonts. Our website loads fonts from Google Fonts. When your browser requests them, Google may receive technical information such as your IP address and browser type.

External registration services. If you follow a link to an external registration service such as Eventbrite, you leave our website, and that service's privacy and cookie practices apply.

If our practices change, we will update this notice.

10. Recordings, photography, and virtual sessions

Some in-person, hybrid, or virtual programs may be photographed or recorded. Before such a session, we will tell you how the recording or photos will be used and what choices you have.

Virtual participants may keep cameras off and adjust their display name. In-person participants may ask to sit outside the camera frame where practical. These options cannot fully prevent incidental audio, group shots, or capture of live audience participation. If you need a recording-free arrangement, please tell the organizer in advance.

Virtual meeting providers may process names, audio, video, chat, and connection information under their own notices. We will not use an identifiable participant's personal scam story, testimonial, or close-up image for promotion without that person's permission. Event-specific notices may add to this section.

11. Accessibility

We welcome requests for reasonable accommodations, including large-print materials, captioning, hearing support, and seating needs. Contact support@blackcrestcyber.com or 202-930-3108 as early as possible. We will discuss options without asking for unnecessary medical details.

12. Children's privacy

Our programs are intended primarily for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we learn that we have done so, we will promptly delete that information, subject to legal obligations.

13. Changes to this notice

We may revise this notice. Each approved version shows a version number and effective date. We will communicate material changes where required. Our registration records keep the version of this notice shown to you when you registered.

14. Contact

BlackCrest Cyber, LLC | Shielded in Dignity®

Email: support@blackcrestcyber.com | Phone: 202-930-3108

Postal address: 120 Waterfront St., Ste. 420, National Harbor, MD 20745

https://blackcrestcyber.com/community-impact