Data Security Policy

​

Privacy

We have written this privacy statement (version 09/28/2020-311216795) to explain to you, in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, what information we collect, how we use data and what decision-making options you have as a visitor to this website.

Unfortunately, it is in the nature of things that these explanations sound very technical, but we have tried to describe the most important things as simply and clearly as possible when creating them.

 

Automatic data storage

Nowadays, when you visit websites, certain information is automatically created and stored, including on this website.

When you visit our website as you are doing right now, our web server (computer on which this website is stored) automatically stores data like

• the address (URL) of the accessed web page

• Browser and browser version

• the operating system used

• the address (URL) of the previously visited page (referrer URL)

• the hostname and IP address of the device from which access is made

• Date and time

in files (web server log files).

As a rule, web server log files are stored for two weeks and then automatically deleted. We do not pass on this data, but cannot rule out the possibility that this data may be viewed in the event of unlawful behavior.

 

Cookies

Our website uses HTTP cookies to store user-specific data.
Below we explain what cookies are and why they are used so that you can better understand the following privacy policy.

 

What exactly are cookies?

Whenever you browse the Internet, you use a browser. Popular browsers include Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Most websites store small text files in your browser. These files are called cookies.

One thing cannot be denied: Cookies are really useful little helpers. Almost all websites use cookies. More precisely, they are HTTP cookies, as there are other cookies for other applications. HTTP cookies are small files that are stored on your computer by our website. These cookie files are automatically placed in the cookie folder, effectively the "brain" of your browser. A cookie consists of a name and a value. When defining a cookie, one or more attributes must also be specified.

Cookies store certain user data about you, such as language or personal page settings. When you return to our site, your browser transmits the "user-related" information back to our site. Thanks to cookies, our site knows who you are and offers you your usual default setting. In some browsers, each cookie has its own file; in others, such as Firefox, all cookies are stored in a single file.

There are both first-party cookies and third-party cookies. First-party cookies are created directly by our site, third-party cookies are created by partner websites (e.g. Google Analytics). Each cookie must be evaluated individually, as each cookie stores different data. Also, the expiration time of a cookie varies from a few minutes to a few years. Cookies are not software programs and do not contain viruses, Trojans or other "pests". Cookies also cannot access information on your PC.

For example, cookie data can look like this:

• Name: _ga

• Expiration time: 2 years

• Usage: differentiation of website visitors

• Example value: GA1.2.1326744211.152311216795

A browser should support the following minimum sizes:

• A cookie should be able to contain at least 4096 bytes

• At least 50 cookies should be able to be stored per domain

• A total of at least 3000 cookies should be able to be stored

 

What are the types of cookies?

The question of which cookies we use in particular depends on the services used and is clarified in the following sections of the privacy policy. At this point, we would like to briefly discuss the different types of HTTP cookies.

We can distinguish 4 types of cookies:

• Absolutely necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary to ensure basic functions of the website. For example, these cookies are needed when a user adds a product to the shopping cart, then continues surfing on other pages and later goes to the checkout. Through these cookies, the shopping cart is not deleted even if the user closes his browser window.

• Functional cookies

These cookies collect information about user behavior and whether the user receives any error messages. In addition, these cookies are also used to measure the loading time and the behavior of the website with different browsers.

• Targeting cookies

These cookies provide a better user experience. For example, entered locations, font sizes or form data are stored.

• Advertising cookies

These cookies are also called targeting cookies. They are used to deliver customized advertising to the user. This can be very convenient, but also very annoying.

Usually, when you visit a website for the first time, you are asked which of these cookie types you want to allow. And, of course, this decision is also stored in a cookie.

 

How can I delete cookies?

How and whether you want to use cookies, you decide. Regardless of which service or website the cookies come from, you always have the option to delete, only partially allow or disable cookies. For example, you can block third-party cookies, but allow all other cookies.

If you want to determine which cookies have been stored in your browser, if you want to change or delete cookie settings, you can find this in your browser settings:

Chrome: Delete, enable and manage cookies in Chrome

Safari: Managing cookies and website data with Safari

Firefox: Delete cookies to remove data that websites have placed on your computer

Internet Explorer: Delete and manage cookies

Microsoft Edge: Delete and manage cookies

If you do not want to have cookies in principle, you can set up your browser so that it always informs you when a cookie is to be set. In this way, you can decide for each individual cookie whether you allow the cookie or not. The procedure varies depending on the browser. The best way is to search the instructions in Google with the search term "delete cookies Chrome" or "disable cookies Chrome" in case of a Chrome browser or exchange the word "Chrome" for the name of your browser, e.g. Edge, Firefox, Safari.

 

What about my privacy?

The so-called "Cookie Guidelines" have been in place since 2009. These state that the storage of cookies requires your consent. Within the EU countries, however, there are still very different reactions to these directives. In Germany, the Cookie Directives have not been implemented as national law. Instead, this directive was largely implemented in Section 15 (3) of the German Telemedia Act (TMG).

If you want to know more about cookies and are not afraid of technical documentation, we recommend https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6265, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Request for Comments called "HTTP State Management Mechanism".

 

Storage of personal data

Personal data that you transmit to us electronically on this website, such as name, e-mail address, address or other personal information in the context of submitting a form or comments on the blog, will be used by us together with the time and IP address only for the purpose stated in each case, kept secure and not disclosed to third parties.

We thus use your personal data only for communication with those visitors who expressly request contact and for the processing of the services and products offered on this website. We do not disclose your personal data without consent, but we cannot exclude the possibility that this data may be viewed in the event of unlawful conduct.

If you send us personal data by e-mail - thus away from this website - we cannot guarantee secure transmission and protection of your data. We recommend that you never send confidential data by e-mail without encryption.

According to Article 6 (1) a DSGVO (lawfulness of processing), the legal basis is that you give us consent to process the data you have entered. You can revoke this consent at any time - an informal email is sufficient, you will find our contact details in the imprint.

 

Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation

According to the provisions of the GDPR, you are generally entitled to the following rights:

• Right of rectification (Article 16 GDPR)

• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") (Article 17 GDPR)

• Right to restriction of processing (Article 18 DSGVO)

• Right to notification - obligation to notify in connection with the rectification or erasure of personal data or the restriction of processing (Article 19 GDPR)

• Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)

• Right to object (Article 21 GDPR)

• Right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling (Article 22 GDPR)

If you believe that the processing of your data violates data protection law or that your data protection rights have been violated in any other way, you can contact the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BfDI).

 

Evaluation of visitor behavior

In the following privacy policy, we inform you whether and how we evaluate data from your visit to this website. The evaluation of the collected data is usually anonymous and we can not conclude from your behavior on this website to your person.

You can find out more about how to object to this analysis of visit data in the following data protection declaration.

 

TLS encryption with https

We use https to transmit data tap-proof on the Internet (data protection by design of technology Article 25(1) DSGVO). By using TLS (Transport Layer Security), an encryption protocol for secure data transmission on the Internet, we can ensure the protection of confidential data. You can recognize the use of this protection of data transmission by the small lock symbol at the top left of the browser and the use of the scheme https (instead of http) as part of our Internet address.