Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 29, 2026

ShutOut (“ShutOut”, “we”, “us”) provides private cybersecurity services to individuals and the organizations that represent them. This policy explains what we collect through this website, why, and what we do with it. We hold ourselves to the same standard we ask of our clients.

What we collect

Information you send us. When you use the contact form or the exposure check, we receive what you type: a name, an email address, an optional handle, your message, and any answers you choose to send. We also record the time of submission, your IP address, your browser’s user-agent string, and the page that referred you. We keep this to detect abuse of the forms.

Accounts. If you create a free account, we store your email address, an optional first name, the audience you chose, when you signed up, the IP address you signed up from, and which field guides you downloaded. Your password is stored only as a one-way hash; nobody at ShutOut can read it. You can delete your account, and everything stored with it, from its settings at any time.

Password and domain checks. The password leak check runs in your browser. The password itself is never sent to us or to anyone else; only a short, anonymous fragment of a one-way hash is sent to the Have I Been Pwned service. Domains you check are looked up in public registry records. We don’t store what you check.

Breach lookups. If the breach check is enabled and you enter an email address, that address is sent once over an encrypted connection to the Have I Been Pwned service to query its database. We do not store the address you enter for a lookup. We may cache the anonymized result for up to one hour to reduce repeat queries.

Exposure scorecard. Your answers are scored in your browser. Nothing is sent to us unless you press the button to send your results.

Technical data. Like every website, our server logs record requests, including IP addresses and timestamps. Our hosting provider retains these for a limited period for security and operational purposes.

Cookies. This site does not use advertising or analytics cookies. If you sign in, WordPress sets strictly necessary cookies that keep you signed in, and we set one small cookie that tells the site to show “Account” instead of “Sign in.” Nothing else.

What we don’t do

• We do not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for their marketing.
• We do not add you to a newsletter or marketing list because you contacted us or created an account.
• We do not use third-party trackers, advertising pixels, or social media widgets that report your visit back to a platform.
• We will never ask you for a password, a one-time code, or a recovery key by email, text, phone, or through this website.

How we use it

We use what you send us to respond to you, to assess whether we can help, and, if you become a client, to perform the services you engage us for under a separate written agreement. We use the technical data to keep the forms from being abused.

Who can see it

Submissions are stored privately in our website’s database, which is accessible only to authorized ShutOut personnel, and are emailed to our intake inbox. Our hosting provider processes the data on our behalf under its own terms. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect someone’s safety.

Retention

Inquiries that do not lead to an engagement are deleted within 12 months. Accounts are kept until you delete them or ask us to. Client records are governed by the engagement agreement. You can ask us to delete your inquiry at any time by emailing lmerkle02@gmail.com.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you, or to object to certain processing. Email us and we will respond within 30 days. We do not discriminate against anyone for exercising these rights.

Children

This website is not directed at children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect their information through it. Family coverage for minors is arranged by a parent or guardian under a written agreement.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top. Material changes will be noted on this page.

Contact

Privacy questions: lmerkle02@gmail.com.