Children's Privacy & COPPA Notice

Effective Date: [EFFECTIVE DATE]  Last Updated: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

Defensive Cyber Academy LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of children and complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506, and all associated Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") regulations.

This COPPA Notice explains our policies and practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information from children under 13 years of age. It applies to all interactions with the Defensive Cyber Academy online cybersecurity training platform ("Platform" or "Services").

1. No Use by Children Under 18

The Platform is strictly intended for adults aged eighteen (18) and older.

We do not knowingly collect, solicit, or maintain personal information from children under 13.

We do not permit minors under 18 to register for or use the Platform.

We do not allow parents, guardians, schools, or organizations to create accounts on behalf of minors.

Any use of the Platform by a minor is strictly prohibited, including through any third-party OAuth identity-provider authentication method.

2. No Collection of Children's Personal Information

Because minors are not permitted to use the Platform:

  • We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
  • We do not knowingly store personal information from children under 13.
  • We do not knowingly track, profile, or analyze data from children under 13.
  • We do not knowingly allow children to submit feedback, support requests, or any other communication.

If we discover that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will immediately delete it.

3. Immediate Termination and Deletion Procedures

If we learn or reasonably suspect that an account belongs to a minor:

  • The account will be immediately suspended.
  • All associated personal information will be deleted from our systems.
  • The registered email address will be notified of the termination.
  • Any cyber range environments, assessment data, or telemetry associated with the account will be purged.

We may request additional verification to confirm age when necessary.

4. Parental Rights Under COPPA

Although minors are not permitted to use the Platform, parents or legal guardians may:

  • Request confirmation of whether their child's information has been collected.
  • Request deletion of any information inadvertently collected.
  • Request details regarding the nature of any information collected before deletion.

To exercise these rights, contact us at:
privacy@defensivecyberacademy.com Subject Line: COPPA Request

We will respond promptly and comply with all COPPA obligations.

5. No Child-Directed Features

The Platform:

  • Does not contain child-directed content.
  • Does not include games, social features, or interactive elements designed for children.
  • Does not include any marketing, advertising, or interface elements directed toward children.
  • Does not knowingly allow minors to participate in assessments, cyber ranges, or training modules.

The Platform is designed exclusively for adult professional cybersecurity training.

6. Third-Party Services

Our Platform uses third-party service providers (e.g., Stripe, Supabase, Vercel, Hetzner, OAuth identity providers). These providers:

  • Do not knowingly collect children's data through our Platform.
  • Are contractually restricted to processing data only for Platform functionality.
  • Are not permitted to use Platform data for child-directed purposes.

If a minor's information is discovered, deletion requests will extend to relevant third-party systems to the extent technically feasible.

7. Reporting a COPPA Concern

If you believe a child under 13 has accessed the Platform or provided personal information, please contact us immediately:

Email: privacy@defensivecyberacademy.com
Phone: 407-668-9770
Mail: Defensive Cyber Academy LLC, 5753 Highway 85 North, Box #3666, Crestview, FL 32536

We will investigate and take appropriate action, including deletion of any information collected.

8. Changes to This COPPA Notice

We may update this COPPA Notice from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via:

  • Prominent in-Platform notice, and/or
  • Email to registered users.

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any update constitutes acceptance of the revised COPPA Notice.

9. Contact Information

For questions regarding this COPPA Notice or our children's privacy practices:

Defensive Cyber Academy LLC
Website: https://www.defensivecyberacademy.com/