How Protectstar Protects Your Privacy - Your privacy is safe with us!

Data privacy is more important than ever. In times of data scandals and increasing surveillance, more and more people are asking themselves: "Is my information really secure?" Companies often collect more data than users are aware of, and use it for commercial purposes. At Protectstar Inc., we take a different approach: we are fully committed to protecting your data, giving you full control, and transparently explaining which data we collect—and why. In this blog, you'll learn how Protectstar protects your privacy and why you can trust us.

Do we collect personal data?
Clearly: NO!
At Protectstar, we are dedicated to respecting your data. Unlike many other companies, we do not collect or store any personal data that could be linked back to you as an individual. We do not sell or share your data with third parties. With our apps, you can rest assured that your private information remains truly private.
 

What data do we collect and why?
Although we do not collect personal data, we gather technical information necessary to ensure our apps function fully and to protect you optimally. This data collection is always conducted according to the principle of data minimization—we only collect the essential data to detect and prevent threats early. Here are the key points:

• App names on your device
  We collect the names of the apps installed on your device. This helps us identify apps that may be vulnerable to threats such as malware or spyware. Don't worry—we do not access content within these apps.
• Digital fingerprints (MD5 and SHA-256)
  A digital fingerprint, also known as a checksum, is a unique code generated from the contents of a file or app. This code allows us to ensure that no file or app on your device has been tampered with. Importantly: we only collect the fingerprint, not the file or app itself!
• File checksums
  Just like with apps, we generate digital fingerprints for files to ensure they are unchanged and secure. Again, we have no access to the contents of the files.
   

How do we use this data?
The collected data serves one sole purpose: your security. Here's how we use it:

• Security analysis: We use app names and checksums to check your device for malware or other potential threats.
• Threat detection: Using checksums, we can determine if an app or file has been tampered with.
• Performance optimization: We offload heavy analysis to our secure cloud servers to avoid unnecessary strain on your device.

All of these checksums are anonymized and encrypted (AES-256) before being sent to our servers. You can be confident that your information is protected from unauthorized access.
 

Efficient Threat Analysis in the Cloud
To avoid overloading your device, we offload heavy security analysis to our secure Protectstar AI cloud servers. This keeps your device's performance high while ensuring your security.
Of course, all data is encrypted (AES-256) and securely transmitted.
 

Why you can trust us
Trust is key to everything, especially when it comes to security. At Protectstar, we adhere to the highest standards to ensure your data is protected:

• Encryption: All data we collect is secured with AES-256 encryption and transmitted via HTTPS. This ensures that third parties have no access to your data.
• Secure servers in Germany: Your data is processed on ISO 27001-certified servers in Germany, which comply with stringent European data protection standards (GDPR).
• No data sharing: We do not sell or share your data with third parties. In the future, we will inform you and request your consent if any changes occur.
• Regular security updates: We keep our apps up to date to close potential security gaps and protect you from new threats.

Minimal Data Storage
Our philosophy of data minimization means that we only collect the absolutely necessary information to protect your device. There is no superfluous data, no personal information—just what is needed to keep you safe from threats.

Exclusively for your security
All collected information, such as app names or checksums, is solely used to protect your device from threats. There is no other purpose for this data—no advertising analysis, no sharing with third parties.

 

What are MD5 and SHA-256 checksums?
You might have come across terms like MD5 or SHA-256 in our apps. These may sound complicated, but here's a simple explanation:

Imagine you have a book, and every page has a unique, distinctive number—a fingerprint. If someone changes the book, the number will no longer match. This is exactly what checksums do: they assign a unique fingerprint to every file on your device. This way, we can detect whether a file has been altered—without having to look at the file's content.

• MD5 is an older method of creating digital fingerprints. It is widely used but less secure than newer techniques.
• SHA-256 is more modern and secure. This method generates longer and more complex codes, which are harder to manipulate.

With these checksums, we can ensure that your files and apps remain unchanged without accessing the content.
 

How do we use checksums?
We use checksums to verify the integrity of apps and files on your device. If a checksum changes, it could indicate manipulation. In doing so, we never access the content of your files or apps. Checksums are a fast and effective way to ensure your device's security.

Firebase Messaging: Important updates without data collection
Before we dive deeper into the benefits of Firebase Messaging, let's first explain what it is. Firebase Messaging is a Google service that allows developers to send notifications and important updates directly to users' devices. These notifications appear on your home screen and inform you about new features, security updates, or important app-related notices.

What Firebase Messaging doesn't do: It does not collect personal or sensitive information. Firebase Messaging simply serves as a platform for exchanging relevant information between app developers and users.

The difference from other providers: Many other companies use not only Firebase Messaging but also additional services like Firebase Crashlytics, Facebook Analytics, Facebook Share, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Amplitude, AppsFlyer, MixPanel, Unity Ads, Singular, and Sentry. These services often access a wealth of user data, including:

• User behavior: How often you use the app and which features you use.
• Technical details of your device: Information such as operating system, device type, and IP address.
• Personal information: Location, interactions in the app, preferences, and more.

This data is often not only used to optimize the app but also for advertising purposes or to create detailed user profiles that are sold or shared with third parties. Well-known cases like AVAST have shown how widespread such practices are and how they undermine users' trust.

Protectstar takes a different approach. We rely solely on Firebase Messaging to send you updates and notifications. No additional Firebase services or third-party platforms like those mentioned above are integrated. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible protection, without your data falling into the hands of third parties.

 

How long do we retain your data?
At Protectstar, we adhere to data minimization. This means we only store the collected data for the duration of the analysis. After a few seconds, all data is securely deleted once the threat analysis is complete. This ensures that your checksum data is never kept on our servers longer than necessary.

 

What makes Protectstar better than others?
While many companies—including big names in the security industry—have been involved in data sales or questionable privacy practices, Protectstar takes a different path. The Avast scandal exemplifies how security companies have betrayed users' trust. Avast and its subsidiary AVG collected user data, such as browsing and search data, and sold it to third parties, compromising many users' privacy.

McAfee also faced scrutiny when it was revealed that the company needed more transparency to share user information with third-party companies. A similar incident occurred with NortonLifeLock (formerly Symantec), where data collection through the "Norton Community Watch" program led to misunderstandings, especially as users were inadequately informed about the data collection.

Additionally, Trend Micro was involved in a scandal when Apple removed several of its apps from the App Store for collecting users' browsing behavior without their knowledge.
At Protectstar, we have always opposed such practices. We do not collect personal data and never sell information. Our priority is to protect you without compromising your privacy.

- We only collect data necessary for your device's security.
- We process this data anonymously and delete it immediately after analysis.
- Your data is never sold or shared.

While other companies rely on hidden data collection to generate additional revenue, we offer a transparent and honest solution that earns your trust.
With Protectstar, you get a security solution that protects you from the threats of the digital world without endangering your data.

Learn more:
https://www.protectstar.com/en/disclosure-for-apps
https://www.protectstar.com/en/policy-for-apps