Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 24, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how hmmnm.com (“the Website”) collects, uses, and protects your personal data. The Website is the online home of an independent cybersecurity research and education practice operated by Prabhu Kalyan Samal (“the Owner”), publishing research and learning material and offering security services and products. By using the Website, you consent to the practices described below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways: data you provide voluntarily, and data gathered automatically when you visit.

Voluntarily provided data: If you leave a comment, your name, email address, IP address, and comment content are stored. Your email is used solely for moderation notifications and is never shared publicly. If you contact us, we store your name, email, and message content. If you request a product or service by email, your email address is used only to deliver that product or to correspond about your inquiry. Learning-path progress shown on the Website is stored in your own browser and is never sent to us.

Automatically collected data: When you visit, your browser sends your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, and session duration. This helps us understand traffic patterns and improve content.

2. Cookies

The Website uses cookies – small text files placed on your device:

• Essential cookies keep the site functional (e.g., remembering your cookie consent preference).
• Analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics) measure visitor interaction so we can improve content and performance.
• Advertising cookies (such as the Google DoubleClick DART cookie) may be set by third-party vendors to serve and measure ads. Where consent is required (including the EEA/UK), these are enabled only after you accept cookies via our consent banner.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies may affect site functionality.

3. Third-Party Services

The Website integrates with services governed by their own privacy policies:

• Google Analytics – processes visitor data for traffic analysis. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
• Akismet – screens comments for spam and may process your IP address and comment data. See Automattic Privacy Policy.
• Social media links (LinkedIn, etc.) – outbound links only; external platforms have their own data practices.

Advertising. We may display advertising served by third-party vendors, including Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies (such as the DoubleClick DART cookie) to serve ads based on your prior visits to this Website or other websites, and Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet. You may opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ads Settings or aboutads.info/choices. Where consent is required (including the EEA/UK under GDPR), advertising and analytics cookies are only enabled after you accept cookies via our consent banner. Subject to the uses described in this Policy, we do not sell your personal data.

4. Data Security

The Website is served over HTTPS with SSL/TLS encryption to protect data in transit. Hosting is provided by a reputable provider with server-level security measures. We apply security patches promptly and conduct regular maintenance. However, no internet-based system is completely immune to risk.

5. GDPR and Your Rights

The Website is accessible to visitors in the European Economic Area and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access – request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification – correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure – request deletion of your personal data.
• Right to Restrict Processing – limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability – receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object – object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to Withdraw Consent – withdraw cookie or analytics consent at any time.

The legal basis for processing comment data is legitimate interest (maintaining site integrity and combating spam). To exercise any right, contact us at the email below. We respond to all requests within 30 days.

6. Data Retention

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy:

• Comments: retained indefinitely as published content, but you may request deletion of your name and email from any comment at any time.
• Contact and newsletter messages: retained for up to 24 months after our correspondence or your subscription ends, so we can answer follow-ups and honor opt-outs; deleted earlier on request.
• Analytics data: retained according to Google Analytics’ retention settings, which we keep at the shortest practical duration.
• Server and security logs: retained by our hosting provider for security, troubleshooting, and abuse prevention for a limited operational period.
• Cookie consent records: kept for the lifespan of the consent itself to demonstrate compliance.

7. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries other than your own. Our hosting provider, Google (Analytics and AdSense), and our email provider may process or store data in the United States, the European Union, or India. Where personal data is transferred out of the EEA/UK, we rely on the mechanisms those providers make available – such as the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses – together with the safeguards described in their privacy policies. AI-assisted content processing sends only non-personal blog text to the AI provider, as described in our AI Data Processing page.

8. Children’s Privacy

This Website is not intended for children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If discovered, such data will be deleted immediately.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes are reflected by the “Last updated” date above. Continued use of the Website after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

10. Contact

For privacy-related inquiries or to exercise your GDPR rights:

• Owner: Prabhu Kalyan Samal
• Email: adhwiraj@gmail.com
• Website: hmmnm.com