Privacy Policy
Last updated:
Overview
Sentry Systems Limited ("Sentry Systems", "we", "us", or "our") is a technology company registered and operating in Malawi, providing software development, cybersecurity, and systems administration services to businesses and individuals across the country and region.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information when you visit our website (sentry.mw) or engage our services. We are committed to handling your personal data responsibly, transparently, and in full compliance with the Malawi Data Protection Act, 2021, and the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act, 2016.
By using our website or services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our website and services.
Data Controller
The data controller responsible for your personal information is Sentry Systems Limited, Blantyre, Malawi. As data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data and are accountable for its lawful handling.
If you have any questions about how we handle your data, or wish to exercise any of your rights under applicable Malawian law, please contact our designated privacy point of contact at support@sentry.mw.
Information We Collect
We collect two categories of information: information you provide voluntarily, and information collected automatically when you use our website.
Information you provide voluntarily includes: your full name, business name, email address, phone number, and any message or project details you submit through our contact or quote request forms. This information is provided by you and collected only for the purpose of responding to your enquiry or delivering agreed services.
Information collected automatically includes: your IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL, pages visited on our site, time and duration of visit, and device information. This data is non-personally identifiable and is used solely to improve the performance and content of our website.
We do not collect sensitive personal information such as national ID numbers, financial account details, biometric data, or health information through our website. If such information becomes necessary in the course of a specific service engagement, it will be governed by a separate written data processing agreement.
Legal Basis for Processing
In accordance with the Malawi Data Protection Act, 2021, we process your personal data only where a lawful basis exists. The legal bases we rely on are:
Consent — where you have freely and clearly given us permission to process your data, such as when you submit our contact form or subscribe to service communications. You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us.
Contractual necessity — where processing is required to fulfil a service contract with you or to take pre-contractual steps at your request, such as preparing a project proposal or service quotation.
Legitimate interests — where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our website, preventing fraud, and ensuring the security of our systems, provided those interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights.
Legal obligation — where we are required by Malawian law to process or retain certain data, including in response to lawful requests from regulatory or law enforcement authorities such as the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) or the Malawi Police Service.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
To respond to enquiries and quote requests submitted through our website; to deliver, manage, and improve the software development, cybersecurity, and systems administration services we provide to Malawian businesses and organisations; to send administrative communications such as project updates, invoices, and service notifications; to analyse website usage patterns and improve the user experience for our visitors; to detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent activity or security threats to our systems or those of our clients; and to comply with applicable Malawian laws and regulatory requirements.
We will not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects without your explicit consent.
Website Analytics and Tracking
We use Microsoft Clarity, a behavioural analytics tool provided by Microsoft Corporation, to understand how visitors interact with our website. Microsoft Clarity records anonymised session replays, heatmaps, and aggregated interaction data such as clicks, scrolls, and navigation patterns. This data cannot be used to personally identify you.
Microsoft Clarity may set cookies on your device to facilitate this analysis. Data collected by Microsoft Clarity is processed by Microsoft on servers that may be located outside Malawi. Microsoft is bound by its own privacy policy and applicable international data protection standards.
We do not use this analytics data to track you across other websites or to build individual advertising profiles. You may opt out of Microsoft Clarity tracking by adjusting your browser's cookie settings or using a browser extension that blocks tracking scripts.
We may also review aggregated, anonymised traffic data to measure overall website performance. No personally identifiable information is shared with any third-party analytics provider for marketing purposes.
Data Sharing and Third Parties
Sentry Systems does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party under any circumstances.
We may share your data only in the following limited and specific circumstances: with trusted third-party service providers, such as cloud hosting platforms or email delivery services, who process data strictly on our behalf and are contractually bound to handle it securely; with competent Malawian authorities, including MACRA, the Malawi Police Service, or a court of competent jurisdiction, where disclosure is required by law or is necessary to protect rights, property, or public safety; or in the event of a business restructure, merger, or asset sale, where your data may be transferred to a successor entity subject to equivalent privacy protections.
Where data is shared with any party operating outside Malawi, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place consistent with the Malawi Data Protection Act, 2021, including contractual data protection clauses or equivalent mechanisms.
Data Security
As a cybersecurity company, the protection of your personal data is central to everything we do. We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the nature and sensitivity of the data we process. These include end-to-end encryption for data transmitted through our website and contact forms; access controls that restrict data to authorised personnel only; regular internal security assessments and vulnerability testing of our systems and infrastructure; and continuous server monitoring with automated threat detection.
Personal data submitted through our website is retained only for as long as is necessary to fulfil its original purpose, or as required by Malawian law. Enquiry and contact data is retained for a maximum of 24 months, after which it is securely and permanently deleted unless an active service relationship exists.
In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights or freedoms, we will notify affected individuals and, where required, the relevant Malawian authority in accordance with the timelines and procedures prescribed by law.
Your Rights Under Malawian Law
Under the Malawi Data Protection Act, 2021, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data held by Sentry Systems:
The right to be informed — you have the right to clear and transparent information about how and why your personal data is being processed, as provided in this policy.
The right of access — you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you at any time, free of charge.
The right to rectification — you may ask us to correct any personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to erasure — you may request that we delete your personal data where there is no compelling legal or contractual reason for its continued retention.
The right to restrict processing — you may ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances, such as while a dispute is being resolved.
The right to object — you have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, or to processing for direct marketing purposes.
The right to data portability — where processing is based on your consent or a contract, you may request your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
To exercise any of these rights, submit a written request to support@sentry.mw. We will acknowledge your request within 5 business days and provide a full response within 30 days. Requests are free of charge, unless they are manifestly unfounded or repetitive, in which case we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee or decline the request.
Links to External Websites
Our website may contain links to external websites, including partner organisations, Malawian government portals such as those operated by MACRA or the Malawi Revenue Authority, and technology resources. These links are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement of those websites or their operators.
Sentry Systems has no control over and accepts no responsibility for the content, privacy practices, or security of external websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every website you visit before submitting any personal information.
Children's Privacy
Our website and services are directed at businesses and adult individuals only. We do not knowingly collect personal information from persons under the age of 18. If you believe a minor has submitted personal data to us without parental or guardian consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@sentry.mw and we will take prompt steps to securely delete that information.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Malawi, including the Data Protection Act, 2021, the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Act, 2016, and any regulations or guidelines issued by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA).
Any disputes arising from or relating to this Privacy Policy, or to our processing of your personal data, shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of Malawi.
Updates to This Policy
We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, services, technology, or applicable Malawian law. When we make material changes, we will update the 'Last updated' date shown at the top of this page.
For significant changes that materially affect how we handle your personal data, we will endeavour to notify existing clients by email prior to the changes taking effect.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website following any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
Questions About This Policy?
If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy policy, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us.
Contact us