Effective Date: January 1, 2015
Last Updated: December 29, 2025
1. Acceptance of Terms
These Terms of Service (“Terms”) are a legally binding agreement between you (“you,” “your,” or “User”) and METATARGET LLC (“d/b/a Cybersecurity Excellence Awards,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) governing your access to and use of our websites, awards programs, nomination platform, and related services (collectively, the “Services”).
By accessing or using the Services, including submitting a nomination, registering an account, or making payment, you agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.
2. Eligibility
The Services are intended for individuals who are 18 years of age or older. You represent that you have the legal capacity and authority to enter into these Terms. If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.
3. Intellectual Property Rights
a. Our Content
All materials and content on the Services—including but not limited to text, design, logos, graphics, audio, video, software, databases, and the “look and feel” of the Services—are owned or licensed by us and are protected by intellectual property laws in the U.S., EU, and other jurisdictions.
You may not use, copy, reproduce, republish, download, transmit, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from our content without our prior written consent.
b. Your Submissions
By submitting content (e.g., award nominations, images, videos, logos, text) to us, you:
– Represent and warrant that you own or have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and consents;
– Grant us and our service providers a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable license to use, reproduce, publish, adapt, display, and distribute your non-confidential submissions for award program operations, editorial, marketing, archival, and promotional purposes.
This license includes the right to feature your company name, logo, and nominee name publicly in connection with activated nominations and official awards program materials.
c. Judging, Evaluation, and Awards Discretion
Award nominations are evaluated through a structured review process conducted by independent judges or jury members selected by us. Judging involves qualitative and subjective assessment based on published or communicated criteria.
You acknowledge and agree that:
– Submission of a nomination does not guarantee selection as a finalist or winner;
– Judging outcomes are discretionary, subjective, and final;
– We may determine that no award will be granted in a given category;
– We may reclassify nominations, merge categories, or modify category definitions at our discretion;
– We may disqualify nominations at any stage if we reasonably believe the nomination violates these Terms, program rules, or applicable law, or contains false or misleading information.
Judging decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
4. Fee-Based Services
Certain parts of the Services, including activation of award nominations, require payment of a fee. Submission of a nomination may allow you to save draft information; however, nominations are not reviewed, judged, or published unless and until they are activated through payment.
Nomination fees support awards program operations, including platform administration, independent judging coordination, evaluation logistics, and publication and archival of awards materials. Payment of a fee does not influence judging criteria, scoring, or outcomes.
All fees are displayed clearly prior to payment and are non-refundable, except as required by applicable law.
We reserve the right to change our pricing, billing methods, or payment providers at any time.
5. Privacy and Data Protection
We process personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR.
If you are a user located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have certain rights under GDPR, including the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict your personal data. To exercise these rights, contact us at: info@cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com.
We rely on your consent and/or contractual necessity as legal bases for data processing in connection with the Services.
6. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
– Violate any law or regulation;
– Upload harmful code, engage in data scraping, or disrupt the Services;
– Misrepresent your identity or affiliation;
– Submit false, misleading, or defamatory nominations;
– Infringe on the rights of others, including intellectual property or privacy rights.
We reserve the right to investigate and take legal action against any misuse of the Services.
7. Disclaimers
The Services are provided “as is” and “as available.” We disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not guarantee that the Services will be error-free or secure.
Nomination, finalist selection, or receipt of an award does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service, or company by us. Awards recognize submissions based on defined criteria and do not represent guarantees of performance, security, or suitability.
8. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from your use of the Services. Our total liability to you for any claim arising out of these Terms will not exceed $100 USD.
Some jurisdictions do not allow exclusion of certain warranties or limitation of liability—if these laws apply to you, some exclusions may not apply.
9. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, its affiliates, and their directors, officers, and employees from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses arising from your use of the Services, your submissions, or your violation of these Terms or any third-party rights.
10. Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
You agree that all disputes between you and us relating to these Terms or the Services will be resolved through final and binding arbitration, rather than in court, except that you may assert claims in small claims court if your claims qualify.
Arbitration shall be conducted by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules, in a location mutually agreed upon or virtually. The arbitrator shall have exclusive authority to resolve any dispute relating to the interpretation, applicability, or enforceability of this arbitration clause.
You may opt out of this arbitration clause within 30 days of accepting these Terms by emailing info@cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com with subject “Arbitration Opt-Out.”
11. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by and construed under the laws of the State of Maryland, USA, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any legal proceeding not resolved by arbitration will be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts in Maryland, USA, and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.
For users located outside the U.S., this does not deprive you of any mandatory protections granted under local consumer laws.
12. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Services, remove or disqualify nominations, or revoke awards at any time if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms, program rules, or applicable law, or submitted false or misleading information.
In such cases, paid fees are non-refundable, and termination or disqualification does not entitle you to any refund or compensation.
13. Changes to the Terms
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will post the updated version with a new effective date. Your continued use of the Services after the changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms.
14. Miscellaneous
a. Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any posted rules, constitute the entire agreement between you and us.
b. No Waiver: Our failure to enforce any provision will not be deemed a waiver.
c. Severability: If any provision is held invalid, the rest will remain in full force and effect.
d. Assignment: You may not assign your rights under these Terms. We may assign them in connection with a merger, sale, or restructuring.
e. Program Changes: We reserve the right to modify awards categories, program structure, timelines, eligibility requirements, or evaluation criteria from time to time. Such changes do not affect previously activated nominations except as reasonably required to maintain program integrity.
15. Privacy Policy (Integrated)
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information responsibly in the context of a professional, publicly visible awards program. This section explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data, including data submitted as part of award nominations.
a. Information We Collect
We collect personal and organizational data that you voluntarily provide when using our Services, including:
- Nominee details (e.g., name, job title, company, country, LinkedIn URL)
- Contact information (e.g., email address of nominee and submitter)
- Company information (e.g., organization size, location, and website)
- Media assets (e.g., logos, screenshots, and photos)
- Technical metadata (e.g., IP address, browser type, and device info)
- Payment details (processed securely through third-party providers)
b. How We Use This Information
We use your information to:
- Administer and operate the awards program
- Display nominee profiles publicly on our website as part of the award listings
- Facilitate judging and evaluation by authorized panelists
- Communicate with you regarding nominations, finalist status, results, and promotions
- Promote selected nominees through social media, newsletters, and press materials
- Process payment transactions for entry fees
- Ensure compliance with program rules and prevent fraud
We do not use nominee data for automated decision-making or profiling.
c. Public Display of Nominee Information
By submitting an entry, you consent to the internal processing of nominee data for program administration. Public display of nominee data—including name, job title, company name, country, and uploaded content and media—occurs only for nominations that have been activated and are part of the official awards program.
Draft or unactivated nominations are not publicly displayed or included in awards listings.
d. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR/UK GDPR)
If you are located in the EU, EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we process your data based on:
- Contractual necessity – to fulfill our obligations to process your nomination
- Legitimate interests – to promote award participants and operate a trusted program
- Consent – for optional communications or marketing where required by law
e. Data Sharing
We may share personal information with the following categories of recipients:
- Judging panel members – for evaluating and scoring nominations
- Cloud and web hosting providers – for secure data storage
- Payment processors – for entry fee transactions
- Email service providers – to send updates and notifications
We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data to third parties.
f. International Data Transfers
We operate in the United States and may store and process data outside your country of residence. For users in the EU, EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we ensure appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place for international transfers.
g. Your Rights
Depending on your location and jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access or correct your personal data
- Request deletion or restrict processing
- Withdraw consent for communications
- Object to our legitimate interest use
- File a complaint with a supervisory authority (e.g., your local DPA or the ICO)
To exercise these rights, email us at info@cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com with your request.
h. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to operate the awards program, fulfill legal obligations, and maintain historical archives. Publicly displayed nominee profiles may remain accessible unless removal is requested.
16. Contact
For questions or legal notices, contact:
Cybersecurity Excellence Awards
Email: info@cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com