Paradigm Cyber Ventures Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 15, 2024

Your privacy is important to us. This privacy policy explains how Paradigm Cyber Ventures (“Paradigm,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) may collect, store, and use the information you provide us, specifically through our Paradigm Centra platform. It also outlines your rights and choices regarding the collection and use of your information.

As Paradigm is involved with students, educators, and institutions in the cybersecurity field, we are committed to complying with federal and state privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

1. Information Collected

• Students: We collect personally identifiable information (“PII”) that students voluntarily submit through Paradigm Centra when they create and manage their portfolios, report on performance in cybersecurity competitions, and share details about credentials earned. This information may include full name, email address, school affiliation, grades, and other information related to their academic and extracurricular activities.
• Educators and Institutions: We collect PII from educators, administrators, and institutions, including names, contact information, school details, and any content shared or submitted on behalf of students.

2. Data Ownership
All student data collected through Paradigm Centra is the property of the educational institutions, schools, or educators using our services. Paradigm acts as a data processor on behalf of these entities, handling data according to their instructions and in compliance with applicable laws.

3. Reviewing, Changing and Deleting Information
Students, educators and institutions may review, update or delete the information they have provided at any time by logging into their Paradigm Centra accounts. Parents or legal guardians of minors have the right to inspect, review, correct or remove their child’s information by contacting the school or institution that provided access to Paradigm Centra.

4. Usage Information
We collect and analyze data on how users interact with Paradigm Centra to improve the platform and provide feedback to educators and institutions. This may include tracking access times, the resources accessed and other usage patterns. We may also use cookies and other tracking technologies to enhance the user experience, though users can disable these features in their browser settings.

5. How We Use Your Information
We use the PII collected from students and educators to operate and maintain Paradigm Centra, communicate updates, and support academic and extracurricular activities. We may send notifications, account information, and educational content. We do not use student data for advertising purposes and will not sell or disclose it to third parties without explicit consent, except as required by law. Data collected in Paradigm Centra that does not contain PII or that has been de-identified may be used for research, development, adaptive learning, customized learning, to demonstrative the effectiveness of Paradigm’s products and services, and for purposes permitted under FERPA.

6. Third-Party Access and Disclosure
We do not share your PII with third parties without your explicit permission. We may disclose information if necessary to comply with legal obligations or to protect the rights, safety and security of our users.

7. Third-Party Authentication
Paradigm Centra may allow users to log in through third-party authentication tools (such as Google or Microsoft accounts). The PII shared through these platforms will be used in accordance with this privacy policy and the privacy policies of the third-party providers.

8. Other Websites
Paradigm Centra may contain links to other websites that are not associated with us. Information collected about you on any such other website is covered by the privacy notice on that website, and not this privacy notice. We encourage you to review the privacy notice on that website before using or entering any personal information on that website and to fully consider the risks associated with using or entering your personal information on that website. We are not responsible for the content, use, or privacy policies or practices of those websites not affiliated with us.

9. Security Protocols
We take security seriously and implement commercially reasonable measures to protect your information. This includes using encryption, secure servers and access controls. While we strive to protect your PII, we cannot guarantee complete security due to the inherent risks associated with internet-based platforms. In the event of a security breach, we will notify affected users as required by law.

10. FERPA Compliance
We comply with FERPA requirements when handling student data, ensuring that PII is only used for legitimate educational interests and is under the direct control of the educational institution. We do not re-disclose PII from education records to third parties without explicit authorization from the institution.

11. COPPA Compliance
Paradigm Centra is designed for users 13 years of age or older. We comply with COPPA and do not knowingly collect PII from children under 13 without verified parental consent or authorization from a school or institution. If we become aware of PII collected from a child under 13 without proper consent, we will delete that information.

12. Retention of Information
We retain PII for as long as necessary to provide our services or as required by law. Users may request deletion of their information by contacting Paradigm Cyber Ventures or through their account settings.

14. Updates to Our Privacy Policy
We may to update this privacy policy from time to time and without prior notice to you. Any change to this privacy policy becomes effective upon posting to Paradigm Centra. Continued use of Paradigm Centra following the posting of changes to this privacy policy will be deemed acceptance of those changes. We will indicate at the top of the privacy policy the date it was most recently updated.

15. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or the handling of your information, please contact us at privacy@paradigmcyberventures.com.