Privacy Policy

Ascend Networks LLC ("we," "us," "our") operates the website at ascendnetworks.us. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly and information collected automatically when you visit our site.

Information you provide

• Contact form: your name, email address, and message when you reach out through our contact form.
• Website audit: the URL you submit and your email address when you use our free audit tool.

Information collected automatically

• Analytics: we use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our site. This collects anonymized data such as pages visited, time on site, referral source, device type, and approximate location. Google Analytics uses cookies to distinguish users.
• Server logs: standard web server logs including your IP address, browser type, and pages requested.

How We Use Your Information

• Respond to your contact form inquiries.
• Deliver website audit reports to the email address you provide.
• Understand how our site is used so we can improve it.
• Maintain security and prevent abuse of our services.

Who We Share With

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share data only with the following service providers, who process it on our behalf:

• Google Analytics for website analytics.
• Amazon Web Services (SES) for sending email notifications and audit reports.
• Cloudflare for hosting, CDN, and security.

Cookies and Tracking

Our site uses functional cookies and Google Analytics cookies. We do not use advertising or retargeting cookies.

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by adjusting cookie settings in your browser.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request deletion of your personal data.
• Opt out of analytics tracking.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@ascendnetworks.us.

Data Retention

• Contact form submissions are retained for up to 2 years, then deleted.
• Website audit results are stored in memory and expire automatically within 24 hours.
• Analytics data is retained according to Google Analytics default settings (14 months).

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we collect. This includes:

• All data is transmitted over HTTPS using TLS encryption.
• Access to personal data is limited to authorized personnel who need it to operate our services.
• We use industry-standard security measures with our hosting provider (Cloudflare) and email provider (Amazon Web Services).
• We regularly review our security practices and update them as needed.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we work to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a security incident affecting your personal data, we will notify affected users in accordance with applicable laws.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed at anyone under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of our site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Email us at privacy@ascendnetworks.us or use our contact form.