Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 15, 2026
Introduction
HackForge ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Capture The Flag (CTF) training platform.
Information We Collect
Account Information
When you register, we collect:
- Username - Your chosen display name
- Email address - For account verification and notifications
- Password - Stored securely using bcrypt hashing (we never store plaintext passwords)
Profile Information (Optional)
You may choose to provide:
- Display name
- Bio/description
- Country
- Website URL
- Social media handles (GitHub, Twitter, Discord)
- Profile avatar
Activity Data
We automatically collect:
- Challenge submissions and solve history
- Points and ranking information
- Comments and interactions
- IP addresses (for security and rate limiting)
- Login timestamps
How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and maintain the platform
- Process challenge submissions and calculate scores
- Display public profiles and leaderboards
- Send notifications about your account and platform updates
- Prevent abuse, cheating, and security threats
- Improve our services and develop new features
Information Sharing
Public Information
The following is visible to other users:
- Username and display name
- Profile information you choose to share
- Solve history and XP (based on your privacy settings)
- Comments on challenges
- Leaderboard rankings
Private Information
We never share:
- Your email address (unless you make it public)
- Your password hash
- Your IP address
- Flag submissions (correct or incorrect)
Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
Cookies
We use essential cookies for:
- Session management - To keep you logged in
- CSRF tokens - For security protection
We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access - View your personal data in your account settings
- Correct - Update your profile information at any time
- Delete - Request account deletion by contacting us
- Export - Request a copy of your data
- Privacy settings - Control profile visibility (public/private)
Children's Privacy
HackForge is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If we discover such data has been collected, we will delete it promptly.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes via email or platform announcement. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please reach out via our contact page.