Last updated: 2 November 2026
This policy explains what personal data IM Cyber collects when you visit imcyber.co.uk, why we collect it, how long we keep it and what your rights are under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Who we are
IM Cyber (imcyber.co.uk) is run by Ibrar Mahmood, who is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.
You can contact us about anything in this policy at [email protected].
The short version
- You can read this site without giving us any personal information.
- We do not use advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not sell or share your data for marketing.
- Our security systems log basic technical details, such as your IP address, to protect the site from attacks.
- If you comment or subscribe, we keep the details you give us for that purpose only.
What we collect and why
When you visit the site
Like every website, our server receives technical information when you load a page: your IP address, browser type, the page you requested, the referring page and the date and time. Our security plugin (Wordfence) and our web host use this to detect and block malicious traffic, such as hacking attempts, spam and automated attacks.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests — keeping the site and its visitors secure.
When you leave a comment
We collect the name, email address and (optionally) website you enter, your comment, and your IP address and browser user agent to help detect spam. Your email address is never shown publicly.
An anonymised string created from your email address (a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service to check whether you have a Gravatar profile picture. If you do, it will be shown next to your approved comment. Gravatar’s privacy policy is at https://automattic.com/privacy/.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests — running a discussion on our articles and keeping it free from spam.
When you subscribe to our newsletter
If you sign up for email updates, we collect your email address (and your name, if you give it) and use it only to send you the updates you asked for. Our mailing list is managed with Hostinger Reach, Hostinger’s email marketing service. Every email includes a link to unsubscribe at any time.
Lawful basis: consent, which you can withdraw at any time by unsubscribing or contacting us.
When you contact us
If you use our contact form or email us, we collect your name, email address, subject and message, and use them only to reply and deal with your enquiry. Contact form messages are sent to us by email; the form itself does not store them on the website and does not set cookies.
Lawful basis: legitimate interests — responding to you.
Cookies
We do not use analytics, advertising or tracking cookies. The site only sets cookies that are needed for it to work:
- Comment cookies — if you leave a comment and tick the box to save your details, your name, email address and website are stored in cookies so you do not have to type them again. These last for one year.
- Login and security cookies — set only for site administrators when they log in, to keep them signed in and to apply security checks. These do not affect ordinary visitors.
If we add analytics or any other non-essential cookies in future, we will update this policy and ask for your consent first.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles may include embedded content such as videos or social media posts. Embedded content behaves in the same way as if you had visited the other website directly: that site may collect data about you, use cookies and track your interaction with the content, under its own privacy policy.
Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with service providers that help us run the site, who process it on our behalf and under our instructions:
- Hostinger — web hosting, website tools and email marketing.
- Wordfence (Defiant, Inc.) — website security and firewall. Wordfence may check IP addresses against its threat intelligence to block known attackers.
- Automattic (Gravatar) — profile pictures on comments, as described above.
We may also disclose personal data if the law requires us to.
International transfers
Some of these providers may process data outside the UK, including in the European Economic Area and the United States. Where that happens, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or on safeguards approved under UK law, such as the International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
How long we keep your data
- Security logs: kept for a limited period and deleted automatically on a rolling basis.
- Comments: kept for as long as the article is online, unless you ask us to remove them. This lets us recognise and approve follow-up comments automatically.
- Newsletter subscriptions: kept until you unsubscribe.
- Contact form messages and emails to us: kept for as long as needed to deal with your enquiry, and then for no more than 12 months.
How we protect your data
The site is served only over encrypted HTTPS connections and is protected by a web application firewall, malware scanning and login protection. Access to the site’s administration area is limited and secured.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
- ask us to correct data that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete your data;
- ask us to restrict how we use your data;
- object to our use of your data where we rely on legitimate interests;
- receive your data in a portable format;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
To use any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within one month. There is normally no charge.
If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or on 0303 123 1113.
Children
This site is written for adults and is not aimed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we add new features to the site. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.