Cookie Policy
Plain English summary: This website uses only strictly necessary cookies required for the site to function. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party cookies for profiling purposes. We do not sell or share cookie data with third parties for marketing.
1. What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device (computer, smartphone, or tablet) by websites you visit. They are widely used to make websites work efficiently and to provide information to the website owner.
Cookies can be:
- Session cookies: Temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser.
- Persistent cookies: Cookies that remain on your device for a specified period or until you delete them manually.
- First-party cookies: Cookies set by the website you are visiting.
- Third-party cookies: Cookies set by a domain other than the website you are visiting, typically by third-party services embedded on the page.
2. Our approach to cookies
This website is a static site deployed via Vercel's CDN infrastructure. We aim to use as few cookies as possible and to avoid unnecessary tracking. Our current approach:
- We do not use advertising or marketing cookies.
- We do not use third-party social media tracking cookies.
- We do not use behavioural profiling or cross-site tracking cookies.
- Our contact and scorecard forms are processed by Formspree, which may set a cookie for form submission purposes (see Section 5).
- The website may use session storage and local storage (browser-based mechanisms that are not cookies in the traditional sense) to maintain the state of interactive tools such as the readiness scorecards. This data does not leave your browser and is not transmitted to us.
3. Legal basis for cookie use
Our use of cookies is governed by the UK Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) as amended, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018.
Under PECR, we may use cookies without consent where they are strictly necessary for the provision of a service you have requested. We rely on this basis for any technically necessary cookies used by this website.
For any non-essential cookies (such as analytics cookies), we would seek your consent before setting them. We will update this policy if we introduce any such cookies.
4. Cookies we use
| Cookie / storage | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| __vercel_live_token | Essential | Set by Vercel's CDN infrastructure for live deployment preview functionality. Not set on production deployments in most configurations. | Session |
| Browser session storage (not a cookie) |
Functional | Used by readiness scorecard pages to maintain your progress through the assessment. Data is stored locally in your browser only and is never transmitted to Holster servers. | Session (cleared on tab close) |
This table reflects our current cookie use. We will update it if we introduce new cookies.
5. Third-party services
Formspree (form processing)
When you submit a contact form or scorecard lead form on this website, your data is processed by Formspree. Formspree may set cookies or use other tracking technologies as part of their service. We recommend reviewing Formspree's Privacy Policy for information about how they handle your data.
Google Fonts
This website loads fonts from Google Fonts. When your browser requests a font file from Google's servers, Google may log your IP address and other technical data. This is a standard browser request and does not involve the setting of cookies on your device by Google in the context of font delivery. For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy.
Vercel
This website is hosted on Vercel. Vercel's edge network processes all page requests, which may involve logging of IP addresses and request metadata for security, performance, and abuse prevention purposes. For more information, see Vercel's Privacy Policy.
6. How to manage and disable cookies
Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can set your browser to:
- Refuse all cookies;
- Accept only certain cookies;
- Delete cookies that have already been set; or
- Alert you each time a cookie is being set.
Please note that disabling strictly necessary cookies may affect the functionality of this website.
Instructions for managing cookies in commonly used browsers:
- Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
- Mozilla Firefox: Preferences → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
- Apple Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
- Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and data stored
You can also visit aboutcookies.org or allaboutcookies.org for comprehensive information on managing cookies across different browsers and devices.
For more information about cookies and your rights, visit the ICO's guide to cookies.
7. Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please revisit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies.
The date at the top of this Cookie Policy indicates when it was last updated.
8. Contact us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other tracking technologies, please contact us:
- Email: hello@holstersecurity.com
- Company: Sikaverse Limited t/a Holster Cybersecurity
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk if you believe we have not complied with the applicable cookie regulations.