DCTAS Privacy Policy and the use of Cookies

The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) serves to provide citizens and residents with enhanced control and security regarding their personal data. Personal data is taken to mean any information relating to an individual, such as names, addresses, emails, etc. GDPR is a regulation under European law that provides for data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area. Equivalent protections have been built into the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

DCTAS has always taken data protection seriously, and we have only ever collected the minimum of data needed to operate your account. DCTAS carries no advertising, and the secure cookies we use are only those that are strictly essential for the operation of your account. We use https (SSL) encryption to provide a higher level of browser security.

Data Privacy Policy

1. Collecting and using your information. We collect only the minimum of information needed to provide you with examination generation services, to send you information updates, and advisory emails about your use of our service.

2. Data storage. By operating your account, you provide consent for your registration information and details of examinations you create to be stored in an electronic format on our servers, your email servers and on your computer or mobile device.

3. Data sharing. We hold your information within DCTAS and will not share this with other individuals or organisations unless you ask us to, or give your permission for us to do so. In exceptional circumstances we might share your information without your permission if we reasonably believe you are breaking the law (providing that such a disclosure is permitted under the relevant laws including data protection laws) or if we are instructed by a legal authority to do so.

4. Data retention. We will retain your personal data whilst you are using your account regularly. If you cease to use the service for any reason, your account will be archived and eventually deleted.

5. Your rights. At your request, we will provide you with a copy of your personal information. If needed, you can ask us to correct any aspect of your data. If you ask us to, we will delete your personal information. This will prevent you from accessing your account and you will no longer be able to generate examinations. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office at any time, if you believe you have reason to do so.

6. Any questions? If you have any questions or comments about how we use and respect your personal data, please email us at support@dctas.com - we take our responsibilities under the legislation seriously and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of data that are downloaded to your computer or mobile device when you visit the DCTAS website. Cookies are in common use across the Internet. DCTAS uses only strictly essential cookies, including (from Aug 2020 onwards) the use of the more secure 'SameSite=Strict' cookie attribute. Other types of cookies such as those used for advertising or marketing are not used and there are no third party cookies tracking user activity.

Without these strictly essential cookies, DCTAS services cannot be provided to you. To operate your account, your browser must be configured to accept cookies and javascript.

A number of cookies are set by DCTAS. Their names, and their purpose are as follows:

1. DCTAS-Exams stores the value 'Login' to enable you to login to DCTAS.
2. sessionID stores a dynamic encrypted code which is used to log you in to your account securely.
3. username stores your username so that you dont need to re-enter this. (If you click 'Forget Me' this cookie is deleted.)
4. flag is only used when you need to change a temporary password.

Further Information

The Information Commissioner's Office in the UK has a wealth of information and guidance. The section written for the general public, titled 'Your data matters' is concise, well-written, and a good place to start. The European Commission also publish an informative fact sheet.

European Union General Data Protection Regulation (Permanent Link)
United Kingdom Data Protection Act 2018
Information Commissioner's Office