West Tech Pilots Privacy Policy

Who are West tech Pilots

WestTech Pilots is a leading provider of comprehensive IT services tailored for small and medium-sized businesses in Vancouver, Canada, and across British Columbia. With over 15 years of expertise in the IT service sector, they specialize in delivering a wide array of services, including Managed IT Services, IT Support, Cloud Services, Data Backup and Recovery, IT Consulting, and Cybersecurity Services. Their solutions are designed with a focus on simplifying IT operations and offering peace of mind through fixed monthly rates, transparent Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and 24/7/365 monitoring through a Security Operations Center (SOC). WestTech Pilots stands out for its dedication to providing all-in-one, turnkey IT services that enable businesses to focus on growth while ensuring their IT infrastructure is robust, secure, and up-to-date.

WestTech Pilots positions itself as a key technology partner for Vancouver’s small and medium-sized businesses, committing to transform IT challenges into growth opportunities. The mission driving WestTech Pilots is to empower local businesses with exceptional IT services and solutions that align with their specific needs and objectives. Their strategic approach combines innovation with a deep understanding of the local business landscape, offering personalized service packages, competitive pricing, and strong customer relationships. What sets WestTech Pilots apart is their continuous evolution to meet technological advancements and their customer-centric approach, seeking to be recognized as the leading provider of IT services for SMEs in the region through their distinctive market position and differentiation strategies.

You can only access our website via this address: https://westtechpilots.ca/

What personal data we collect and why we collect it

When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

At WestTech Pilots, we are committed to upholding the privacy and security of the personal information we collect from our clients and website visitors. As a trusted technology partner for small and medium-sized businesses, we understand the importance of transparency regarding how we gather, use, store, and protect personal data. Below, we outline the types of personal data we collect and the reasons behind these data collection practices.

What Personal Data We Collect

1. Contact Information: This includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, and any other communication-related details provided through our contact forms, service inquiries, or customer support interactions. We collect this information to be able to respond to inquiries, provide requested services, and maintain communication with our clients.
2. Business Details: For clients seeking our IT services, we collect information about your business, such as company name, industry type, size, and specific IT needs. This allows us to tailor our IT solutions to fit your business objectives and operational requirements.
3. Payment Information: We collect billing details and payment information to process transactions for our services. This data is handled in compliance with financial data protection regulations to ensure the security of your transactions.
4. Technical Data: When you visit our website, we may collect technical information such as IP addresses, browser types, and navigation information. This data helps us improve website functionality, understand user interactions, and enhance the overall user experience.
5. Analytics and Usage Data: We use cookies and analytical tools to gather anonymized data on how our website and services are accessed and used. This information aids us in optimizing our digital content, marketing strategies, and service offerings.

Why We Collect It

• To Provide Services: The primary reason for collecting personal data is to deliver the Managed IT Services, Cloud Services, and other IT solutions we offer. This includes setting up accounts, managing service agreements, and ensuring continuous support.
• Customer Support: We collect information to provide timely and effective customer support, address technical issues, and answer questions related to our services.
• Security and Compliance: Protecting the integrity of your data and our IT infrastructure is paramount. We collect certain information to implement and maintain security measures, comply with legal obligations, and prevent fraud.
• Marketing and Communication: With your consent, we use personal information to send updates, newsletters, and promotional communications related to our services and the IT industry. This helps us keep you informed about the latest technology trends, offers, and events that might interest you.

At WestTech Pilots, respecting your privacy and safeguarding your data are integral to our operations. We are dedicated to handling personal information responsibly, ensuring it is collected for legitimate purposes and protected against unauthorized access or disclosure. You can contact us with any of your concerns about the data we collect.

Cookies and Your Data on our Website

Our cookie policy outlines the types of cookies we use, the information they collect, and how this information is utilized to enhance your browsing experience.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files placed on your device by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the site owners. Cookies can be “persistent” or “session” cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your personal computer or mobile device when you go offline, while session cookies are deleted as soon as you close your web browser.

How We Use Cookies

• Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function correctly. They help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
• Performance and Analytics Cookies: These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This includes data on pages visited, time spent on the site, and any navigational difficulties encountered. This helps us improve our website’s performance and user experience.
• Functional Cookies: These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. Without these cookies, some or all of these services may not function properly.
• Marketing Cookies: Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third-party advertisers.

Your Choices Regarding Cookies

You have the option to control and manage cookies in various ways. Please note that removing or blocking cookies can impact your user experience, and parts of our website may no longer be fully accessible.

• Browser Settings: Most web browsers allow you to manage your cookie settings. You can set your browser to refuse cookies or delete certain cookies. Generally, you should also be able to manage similar technologies in the same way that you manage cookies – using your browser’s preferences.
• Third-Party Tools: You may opt to use third-party tools available online to manage the collection and use of cookies.
• Opting Out: For cookies used by our third-party analytics and advertising partners, where applicable, you may be able to control your settings and opt out from their cookies directly by visiting their websites or using an industry opt-out tool.

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.

These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

How long we retain your data

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

Where we send your data

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Additional information

How we protect your data

The security of your data is our top priority. We understand the trust you place in us when sharing your personal and business information. To uphold this trust, we have implemented a comprehensive set of practices and technologies designed to protect your data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

How We Protect Your Data

1. Encryption: We use strong encryption both in transit and at rest to ensure that your data is protected from interception or eavesdropping by unauthorized parties.
2. Access Controls: Access to personal data is strictly limited to authorized personnel who have a legitimate business need to access the information. We enforce strict password policies and employ multi-factor authentication to further secure access.
3. Security Training: Our staff receives regular security training to stay updated on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices for protecting sensitive information.
4. Secure Infrastructure: Our IT infrastructure is hosted in secure data centers with robust physical and environmental controls. We employ state-of-the-art firewall and intrusion detection technologies to protect against external threats.
5. Regular Updates and Patch Management: We actively monitor for vulnerabilities and apply necessary updates and patches to our systems to protect against known threats.
6. Data Minimization: We only collect and store data that is necessary for the services we provide, and we ensure that sensitive information is anonymized or encrypted where possible.

Data Breach Procedures

Despite our best efforts, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. In the event of a data breach, West Tech Pilots has established a clear protocol to respond efficiently and effectively:

1. Incident Identification and Assessment: Upon detecting a potential security incident, our team immediately assesses the situation to determine the scope and impact of the breach.
2. Containment: Our first priority is to contain the breach to prevent further unauthorized access or loss of data. This may involve isolating affected systems, revoking access privileges, or taking other immediate measures to secure data.
3. Notification: In compliance with applicable laws and regulations, we will notify affected individuals and, if relevant, regulatory authorities, of the breach in a timely manner. We provide clear information on the nature of the breach, the data involved, the potential impact, and the steps being taken in response.
4. Investigation and Remediation: We conduct a thorough investigation to understand the cause of the breach and implement measures to prevent future incidents. This may involve enhancing security protocols, updating policies, or providing additional training to staff.
5. Post-Incident Review: After resolving the incident, we conduct a post-incident review to assess our response and make improvements to our data protection and breach response processes.

We are committed to maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the data entrusted to us. We continuously review and update our data protection practices to ensure we are in compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Industry regulatory disclosure requirements

At WestTech Pilots, we are aware of the importance of regulatory compliance in the IT industry, particularly given the diversity of data we handle and the array of services we provide to small and medium-sized businesses in Vancouver, Canada, and across British Columbia. Being compliant not only ensures we operate within the law but also strengthens trust with our clients, assuring them that their sensitive information is handled with the utmost care and professionalism. Below, we outline how we align with various industry regulatory disclosure requirements:

1. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Understanding the global nature of our business, we adhere to GDPR principles when dealing with the personal data of EU residents, ensuring transparency in our data collection and processing practices.
2. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA): For our clients and their customers in California, we comply with CCPA and CPRA regulations, affirming our commitment to protecting consumer privacy and rights.
3. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): When handling protected health information (PHI), we maintain compliance with HIPAA standards, safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of such data.
4. Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS): Recognizing the sensitivity of credit card information, we conform to PCI DSS requirements, ensuring secure processing, storage, and transmission of cardholder data.
5. Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA): In engagements involving U.S. government agencies, we align our operations with FISMA regulations, affirming our dedication to securing federal information systems.
6. Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA): As a Canadian company, we rigorously follow PIPEDA guidelines for collecting, using, and disclosing personal information in our commercial activities, upholding our responsibility to protect our clients’ privacy.
7. Industry-specific regulations: We also observe industry-specific regulations relevant to our clients’ sectors, whether they operate in finance, healthcare, or telecommunications, ensuring tailored compliance strategies.

Our commitment to regulatory compliance is unwavering. We continually monitor and adapt to changes in legal requirements and best practices to ensure not only that we meet current standards but also anticipate future obligations. Our proactive approach includes developing transparent privacy policies, implementing robust data protection measures, establishing incident reporting protocols, and conducting regular audits. This diligence fortifies the trust our clients place in us as their IT service provider, assuring them that their operations and data are not just supported, but also protected, in compliance with the highest standards.

Fee free to contact West Tech Pilots if you nay any questions or concerns.