Privacy Policy

Forward Forensics ("Forward Forensics", "we", "us" or "our") provides digital forensics, investigation, training and laboratory solutions to law enforcement, government and corporate clients. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and protect personal data when you visit our website, contact us, register for training courses, or otherwise interact with us.

We are committed to handling personal data responsibly and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation ("UK GDPR") and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where visitors or clients are located in the European Economic Area, we also have regard to the principles of the EU General Data Protection Regulation ("EU GDPR").

1. Scope of this Policy

This Policy applies to personal data collected through the Forward Forensics website (the "Site") and related interactions, such as enquiry forms, the newsletter sign-up and training course bookings. It does not apply to:

• Case data, evidence, or other client materials handled by Forward Forensics in the course of a forensic investigation or laboratory engagement — these are governed by the confidentiality, data handling and chain-of-custody terms of the relevant service agreement or statement of work, not by this Policy.
• Third-party websites linked from our Site (see Section 12).

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of information:

Information you provide to us

• Contact and enquiry details — name, organisation, job title, email address, phone number and message content, when you submit a contact, consultation request, or "Request Consultation" form.
• Training registration details — name, organisation, contact details and course preferences, when you register interest in or book a training course.
• Newsletter sign-up — your email address, when you subscribe to receive updates.

Information collected automatically

• Usage data — pages visited, time spent, referring/exit pages, browser type, device type and approximate location (derived from IP address), collected via standard web server logs and analytics tools.
• Cookies and similar technologies — see Section 5 below.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data (such as biometric, health or criminal-record data) through the Site itself. Sensitive data encountered during the course of forensic engagements is handled under separate, engagement-specific confidentiality and data-protection terms.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to enquiries and provide requested information about our services;
• Process training course registrations and bookings, and communicate with you about them;
• Send newsletters and updates you have opted in to receive;
• Operate, maintain, secure and improve the Site;
• Understand how visitors use the Site, for analytics and reporting purposes;
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations; and
• Detect, investigate and prevent fraudulent, unauthorised or unlawful activity.

We do not sell personal data, and we do not use personal data collected through the Site for unrelated automated decision-making.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data on one or more of the following bases:

• Consent — for example, when you opt in to our newsletter or accept non-essential cookies;
• Performance of a contract — for example, to process a training course booking;
• Legitimate interests — for example, to respond to enquiries, maintain the security of our Site, and improve our services, provided this does not override your rights and interests; and
• Legal obligation — where processing is required to comply with applicable law.

Where consent is the basis for processing, you may withdraw it at any time using the contact details in Section 14, or via the unsubscribe link in our emails.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate core site features, remember your preferences (such as your selected language), and understand aggregate usage of the Site through analytics. You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings; doing so may affect the functionality of some parts of the Site. Where required by applicable law, we will request your consent before setting non-essential cookies.

6. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell or rent personal data. We may share personal data with:

• Service providers who support our operations (for example, website hosting, email delivery and form-processing providers), under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms;
• Professional advisers, such as legal or financial advisers, where necessary;
• Regulators, law enforcement or courts, where required by law or to protect our legal rights; and
• A successor entity, in the event of a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, subject to equivalent privacy protections.

7. International Data Transfers

As Forward Forensics serves clients and operates training programmes across multiple countries, personal data may be transferred to, stored in, or processed in countries other than your own, including countries that may have different data protection standards. Where we transfer personal data internationally, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is protected in a manner consistent with this Policy and applicable law, including the use of contractual safeguards with service providers where appropriate.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Policy, including to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting obligations. Enquiry and newsletter data is generally retained until you ask us to delete it or unsubscribe; training registration data is generally retained for the duration of our relationship plus a reasonable period afterwards for record-keeping purposes.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or alteration, consistent with our obligations under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Request access to the personal data we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Request deletion of your personal data;
• Object to, or request restriction of, certain processing;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• Lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority (in the UK, the Information Commissioner's Office).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

11. Children's Privacy

The Site is intended for business and professional audiences and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided personal data to us, please contact us so we can delete it.

12. Third-Party Links

The Site may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites, and we encourage you to review their privacy policies separately.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when this Policy was last revised. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us at:

• Forward Forensics Ltd
  Company No. 15447286
  128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, United Kingdom
• Email: info@forwardforensics.co.uk / support@forwardforensics.co.uk
• Tel: +44 20 3286 4584