Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2026

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

The Illinois Cyber Foundation (ILCF) is committed to protecting the privacy of our donors, volunteers, members, and community members. As a security-focused organization, we minimize data collection and prioritize the security of the information we do hold.

2. Information We Collect

Contact Forms: When you submit a contact inquiry, we collect your name, email address, and message content to respond to your request.

Newsletter Subscriptions: When you subscribe to our newsletter or research updates, we collect your first name, last name, and email address. Newsletter subscriptions are managed through Sender.net, a third-party email service provider. Please review Sender.net's Privacy Policy for information on how they process your data.

Membership Applications: When you apply for ILCF membership, we collect:

  • Full name, email address, and phone number
  • Mailing address (street, city, state, ZIP code)
  • Company/organization affiliation (optional)

This information is used solely for membership administration, internal communication, and event coordination. Membership data is stored securely and shared only with authorized ILCF personnel.

Career Applications: When you express interest in career opportunities, we collect your name, email address, resume, and message content.

Research Report Downloads: When you request Group 1818 intelligence reports via email, we collect your first name, last name, and email address to deliver the secure download link. You may also download reports anonymously without providing any personal information.

Automated Information: When you visit our website, we may collect technical data including your IP address, browser type, operating system, and pages visited for:

  • Security monitoring and abuse prevention
  • Rate limiting to prevent spam and automated attacks
  • Analyzing site performance and user experience

3. Third-Party Services

Google reCAPTCHA: This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. We use this service strictly to fight spam and abuse on our forms.

Email Delivery: We use SMTP2GO to send transactional emails (contact form responses, membership confirmations, report download links). SMTP2GO processes email addresses and content only for delivery purposes. Review SMTP2GO's Privacy Policy for details.

Donation Processing: Financial transactions are processed by PCI-compliant third-party providers including Donorbox and Stripe. The ILCF does not store credit card information on our servers. Please review their respective privacy policies:

Internal Communications: We use Slack for internal team notifications (membership applications, career inquiries). Personal data shared via Slack is accessible only to authorized ILCF personnel and is not publicly visible.

4. How We Use Your Data

  • To respond to your inquiries, membership applications, or career interests
  • To send newsletters, research updates, and event notifications (only if you opt in)
  • To deliver research reports you request
  • To process donations via third-party payment processors
  • To improve website security, performance, and user experience
  • To prevent fraud, spam, and abuse of our services

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal identification information to others.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law:

  • Contact inquiries: Deleted after 1 year of inactivity
  • Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
  • Membership records: Retained for the duration of your membership plus 3 years for administrative purposes
  • Career applications: Retained for 1 year or until you request deletion
  • Security logs: Retained for 90 days for abuse prevention

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
  • Opt-out: Unsubscribe from newsletters at any time via the unsubscribe link in emails
  • Object: Object to processing of your data for specific purposes

To exercise these rights, contact us at .

7. Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security practices to protect your data:

  • SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
  • CSRF token protection on all forms to prevent cross-site request forgery
  • Rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks and spam
  • Regular security audits and monitoring
  • Restricted access to personal data (authorized personnel only)

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Effective Date" at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this policy regularly.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights, or have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us at:

Illinois Cyber Foundation, Inc.
Email: