§1
Scope and Purpose
This Cookie Policy (the "Policy") describes how Silvey & Co., a Texas limited liability company doing business as BusinessGuard (the "Company," "we," "us," or "our"), uses cookies and similar technologies on the BusinessGuard platform (the "Service"). This Policy supplements the Company's Privacy Policy and is incorporated by reference into the Terms of Service. It describes what cookies are, which cookies we set, what we use them for, and how you can control them. By continuing to use the Service, you consent to the use of cookies as described in this Policy, subject to your preferences managed through the cookie consent banner.
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What Cookies Are
Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile) when you visit. Cookies allow the website to recognize your device on subsequent visits, remember your preferences, and enable certain functionality. Related technologies include localStorage, sessionStorage, and pixel tags; where those are used, they are treated as cookies for the purposes of this Policy and the cookie consent banner.
Cookies are categorized by who sets them and how long they persist:
First-party cookies are set by BusinessGuard directly. Third-party cookies are set by services we integrate (for example, Cloudflare Turnstile for anti-spam verification). Session cookies are erased when you close your browser. Persistent cookies remain for a defined period (listed below) or until you delete them.
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Categories We Use
The Service organizes cookies into four categories matching the options in the cookie consent banner:
Necessary cookies are required for the Service to function. Examples include authentication (keeping you signed in), security (preventing CSRF and session hijacking), and remembering your cookie preferences. You cannot opt out of necessary cookies because the Service cannot operate without them.
Functional cookies remember your preferences — theme, language, UI settings — for a more personalized experience. They are not essential, so they are disabled by default until you accept.
Analytics cookies help us understand how the Service is used in aggregate so we can improve it. We do not currently use any analytics cookies during the waitlist phase. If this changes before general launch, we will update this Policy and prompt you to re-consent.
Marketing cookies are used to deliver relevant updates and measure the effectiveness of our communications. We do not currently use any marketing cookies during the waitlist phase.
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Cookies We Use
The following table describes the specific cookies the Service sets during the current waitlist phase. This list is reviewed on each material change and updated before the next deployment to production.
bg_cookie_consent (Necessary, First-party)
Purpose: stores your cookie consent selections (necessary, functional, analytics, marketing) so the cookie banner does not re-appear on every page view.
Duration: 1 year (365 days) from the date you first set your preferences.
Scope: Path=/; SameSite=Lax (client-side set), SameSite=Strict (server-side confirmation via /api/consent).
Origin: set by BusinessGuard directly in your browser; also transmitted to the Company's /api/consent endpoint when you change preferences.
rg_session (Necessary, First-party, HttpOnly)
Purpose: authenticates signed-in users after email and password verification. Contains a cryptographically signed reference to your active session; the actual session record is stored server-side.
Duration: session (expires when you close your browser) or up to the configured maximum session lifetime, whichever is shorter.
Scope: Path=/; HttpOnly; SameSite=Strict; Secure in production. HttpOnly prevents JavaScript from reading the cookie, mitigating XSS-based session theft.
Active: only after you sign in. Not set during the waitlist phase since sign-in is disabled.
rg_prototype_session (Necessary, First-party, HttpOnly)
Purpose: supports pre-launch internal prototype sessions for employee and pilot-partner access during development. Not relevant to general users.
Duration: short-lived (minutes to hours, depending on role).
Scope: Path=/; HttpOnly; SameSite=Strict; Secure in production.
Active: only in non-production environments and for authorized employees. Not set during the public waitlist phase.
Cloudflare Turnstile (Necessary, Third-party)
Purpose: protects the waitlist sign-up form from automated abuse. Turnstile replaces traditional CAPTCHAs with a privacy-preserving challenge that verifies your browser without requiring you to solve a puzzle.
Controller: Cloudflare, Inc. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy at https://www.cloudflare.com/privacypolicy/ for how they process verification data.
Duration: session and short-lived persistent cookies as set by Cloudflare.
Active: only on pages that render the Turnstile widget (currently the waitlist sign-up form).
Opt-out: Turnstile is classified as a necessary security cookie. Disabling it would block sign-ups, so opting out of necessary cookies is not possible. If you decline, you may experience difficulty completing the waitlist form.
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Analytics and Marketing
As of the "Last updated" date shown on this page, the Service does not set any analytics or marketing cookies during the waitlist phase. The consent banner categories for Analytics and Marketing are retained for future compatibility and currently have no effect on which cookies are set.
If the Company begins using analytics or marketing cookies before general launch, this Policy will be updated to list each such cookie and the consent banner will re-prompt you to confirm your selections. You will not be treated as having consented to new cookie types set after the last revision date without an affirmative refresh of your preferences.
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How to Manage Cookies
You can change your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie consent banner, which is displayed on your first visit and can be reopened by clearing the bg_cookie_consent cookie in your browser.
You can also manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, and block cookies on a per-site basis. Instructions for major browsers:
Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data.
Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data.
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data.
Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Cookies and site data.
Disabling necessary cookies will prevent the Service from working properly. Authentication, cookie consent persistence, and anti-spam verification all require necessary cookies.
The Service honors the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. If your browser transmits a GPC header, we automatically treat that as a decline of non-necessary cookies.
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Changes to This Policy
The Company may revise this Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, regulatory requirements, or our business practices. Material changes will be communicated by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by re-prompting you through the cookie consent banner. Non-material changes (formatting, typographical corrections, clarifying language) will be made without notice.
Continued use of the Service after a material update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy. If you do not agree to the revised Policy, please discontinue use of the Service and clear the bg_cookie_consent cookie from your browser.
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Questions about this Cookie Policy, the specific cookies we use, or how to exercise your privacy rights may be directed to the Company at privacy@thebusinessguard.com. Requests related to cookies will be handled in accordance with the Company's Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law.