Cookie Policy

This Cookie Policy explains how OpenTech Support ("OpenTech," "we," "our," or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies when you visit opentech.support or any OpenTech-operated web property. It describes what these technologies are, why we use them, and what choices you have.

For information about how we handle personal information more broadly, please see our Privacy Policy.

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit it. They are widely used to make websites work properly, function more efficiently, and provide information to website operators.

Cookies contain a small amount of data — often an anonymous unique identifier — and are sent between your browser and the web server. They are stored on your device and sent back to the server on subsequent visits, allowing the site to recognize you and remember certain information.

Cookies can be "session cookies," which expire when you close your browser, or "persistent cookies," which remain on your device for a defined period or until you delete them. Cookies may be set by the website you are visiting ("first-party cookies") or by third-party services operating on that website ("third-party cookies").

2. Types of Cookies We Use

Essential cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function. They enable core features such as secure session handling, navigation, form submission, and authentication. Without these cookies, services you have requested — such as portal access or form submission — cannot be provided. Essential cookies cannot be disabled without breaking site functionality.

Security cookies

These cookies help us detect and prevent malicious or fraudulent activity including bot traffic, automated form abuse, unauthorized access attempts, and denial-of-service activity. They support rate limiting, CSRF protection, and session integrity. Security cookies are set as part of our obligation to maintain a secure website and protect users.

Preference and functional cookies

These cookies remember choices you make on the Site — such as your cookie consent decision, dismissed notices, or other interface preferences — to provide a consistent experience across visits. They improve usability without tracking behavior across other websites.

Analytics and performance cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the Site — which pages are visited, how long users stay, what content is most useful, and where navigation can be improved. We use this information to improve the Site and our services. We prioritize privacy-friendly analytics tools that minimize personal data collection.

Infrastructure and network cookies

Our hosting and content delivery infrastructure may set cookies or similar tokens to support performance, caching, security, and routing functions. These are typically technical in nature and do not track individual users across sites.

3. Specific Cookies and Technologies

The following describes the primary cookies and technologies currently active on opentech.support:

Session and authentication cookies

• PHP session cookie (PHPSESSID): A first-party session cookie used to maintain your session state across pages. It is used for CSRF protection, account portal authentication, and flash message delivery. This is a session cookie and expires when your browser is closed.
• Authentication token: A short-lived token stored in the session to verify your identity during account portal access. It expires after a defined inactivity period.

Security and abuse-prevention cookies

• Cloudflare cookies (__cf_bm, cf_clearance): Set by Cloudflare, our network security and CDN provider. These cookies help Cloudflare identify legitimate human traffic versus bots and protect the Site from DDoS attacks, malicious requests, and automated abuse. These are essential security cookies.
• Rate-limit identifiers: Server-side temporary identifiers used to enforce submission rate limits on forms and API endpoints. These are not stored as browser cookies.

Preference and consent cookies

• Cookie consent record (localStorage): We store your cookie consent decision in browser local storage so we do not present the cookie banner on every page load. This is a functional preference record, not a tracking cookie.
• Dismissed notice records (localStorage): When you dismiss site announcements or informational banners, your preference is recorded in local storage to avoid showing them again. This information stays on your device only.

4. Local Storage and Session Storage

In addition to cookies, we use browser local storage and session storage for certain functional purposes:

• Local storage is used to persist user preferences (such as consent decisions and dismissed notices) across browser sessions. This data remains on your device until you clear browser storage or it is overwritten by the Site.
• Session storage may be used for temporary, in-page state that does not persist after you close the browser tab.

We do not use local storage or session storage for advertising, cross-site tracking, or profiling. The information stored locally is limited to functional preferences and does not include personal data unless you are authenticated and the data relates to your active session.

5. Third-Party Technologies

Some third-party services integrated into the Site may set or access cookies or similar technologies. These include:

• Cloudflare: Our CDN, DDoS protection, and security provider. Cloudflare may set security cookies (such as __cf_bm) to distinguish human visitors from automated traffic. See Cloudflare's Cookie Policy.
• Zoho Desk: Our support ticketing and client portal platform. If you are directed to the Zoho Desk client portal, Zoho may set its own cookies in accordance with their privacy and cookie practices. See Zoho's Privacy Policy.
• OpenAI: Our AI assistant features transmit inputs to OpenAI's API for processing. OpenAI does not set browser cookies through our integration, but your inputs are processed by their systems. See OpenAI's Privacy Policy.

We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or social media tracking pixels on opentech.support.

6. Analytics

We use Plausible Analytics to understand Site usage. Plausible is a privacy-focused analytics platform that:

• does not use cookies or persistent identifiers,
• does not collect personal data or track individuals across sites,
• does not create user profiles or fingerprints,
• stores only aggregated, anonymized data about page views and interactions.

Because Plausible operates without cookies or personal data collection, it is not subject to cookie consent requirements under most privacy frameworks. No opt-out is required, but you may view Plausible's data policy if you wish to understand their approach.

7. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting that signals to websites that you do not want to be tracked. There is currently no universally accepted standard for responding to DNT signals. OpenTech does not engage in cross-site tracking and does not use advertising or behavioral targeting technologies, so the presence or absence of a DNT signal does not materially affect how we operate.

We will continue to monitor developments in DNT standards and update our practices accordingly.

8. Managing and Controlling Cookies

You have several options for managing cookies:

Browser settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings, including options to block all cookies, block third-party cookies, or delete existing cookies. Browser controls vary by browser:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data

Note that disabling essential cookies may prevent parts of the Site from working correctly, including the account portal, form submission, and CSRF protections.

Cookie preferences on this site

You can review or update your cookie consent decision at any time by clicking "Cookie Preferences" in the Site footer. Withdrawing consent for non-essential cookies will not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before withdrawal.

Clearing local storage

To clear locally stored preferences (such as consent records and dismissed notices), you can clear your browser's site data through browser settings. This will reset your preferences on this Site.

9. Consent and Cookie Banner

When you first visit opentech.support, we display a cookie notice to inform you about our use of cookies and give you the opportunity to accept or dismiss the notice. Accepting indicates your consent to the use of cookies as described in this policy.

Essential and security cookies are set regardless of your consent, as they are technically necessary for the Site to function and to protect its security. Consent applies to non-essential cookies, including any analytics cookies we may use.

Your consent decision is stored locally and will persist until you clear your browser data or change your preference via the Cookie Preferences option in the footer.

10. Cookie Retention

The retention period of cookies varies depending on their type:

• Session cookies: expire when you close your browser.
• Authentication tokens: typically expire after a short inactivity window (hours to days).
• Security cookies (Cloudflare): typically expire within 30 minutes to 24 hours, depending on the specific cookie.
• Preference and consent records (local storage): persist until cleared by the user or overwritten.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the technologies we use, applicable law, or our practices. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact

If you have questions about this Cookie Policy or how we use cookies, please contact us:

Email: [email protected]
Website: opentech.support/contact

You can also update your cookie preferences at any time using the Cookie Preferences option in our Site footer.