Privacy Policy

The operator of MalGuard ("we") handles only the personal information that is necessary, in line with Korea's Personal Information Protection Act and other applicable laws. This policy covers the website malguard.co.kr and the MalGuard apps (malguard.exe and malguard-cli.exe). If this English version and the Korean version differ, the Korean version prevails.

1. Information we process

We do not collect names, national ID numbers, phone numbers, postal addresses or payment information.

2. Why we process it

• Server access logs: to run the website and update service, respond to attacks and abnormal access, investigate outages, and produce statistics that don't identify anyone (such as visit and download counts)
• Messages you send: to reply and follow up
• Report files: to find the cause of adware or PUPs MalGuard missed and to write detection definitions
• Advertising: to cover the cost of running a free service (processed by Google)

3. Retention and deletion

• Server access logs: kept for at most one year, then the log files are deleted automatically.
• Emails and report files: deleted within one year after handling. Detection definitions derived from a report (traits of the unwanted program, such as file paths or domains) contain no personal information and may continue to be distributed.
• Advertising cookies: stored in your browser for the period Google sets; you can delete them at any time.

Where a law requires us to keep information longer, we keep it separately for that period. Electronic files are deleted so they can't be recovered.

4. What the MalGuard app does

What it never sends

Nothing on your PC — scanned files, file paths, scan results, installed programs, browser settings or quarantine records — is sent to our server, except a report file you choose to send.

When the app goes online

• Definition updates: when you open the MalGuard window, every six hours if "Watch automatically at startup" is on, and when you run update in the command-line version, the app downloads definition files from malguard.co.kr.
• Notices: when you open the MalGuard window, it fetches the short notice shown at the bottom from malguard.co.kr.
• In both cases, the server only keeps the standard access log described in section 1.
• The definition files include the malicious host list from URLhaus by abuse.ch. Our server downloads and prepares it once a day, so your PC does not connect to abuse.ch because of this list.
• The definition files also include a list prepared from the Korea Internet & Security Agency phishing site URLs (data.go.kr). We add it ourselves, so your PC does not connect anywhere else because of this list.
• If you enter your own abuse.ch key in the command-line version and run a threat-intelligence command, the app connects to abuse.ch's servers for that command only. This does not go through our server.
• Links inside the app open in your default browser.

Report files

A text file summarizing your PC's state, which you can create from the Report tab in the MalGuard window (or the report command in the command-line version).

• The file is first saved to your desktop, and the app never sends it automatically. It is sent to malguard.co.kr (over encrypted HTTPS) only after you review it, press 'Send to server' and confirm. What is sent is the file exactly as it is at that moment, so you can delete any line before sending. We accept reports only through our server.
• Reports received by our server are stored as files in a location that is not reachable from the web, and only the operator can see them. We do not store your IP address with a report (it only appears in the standard access log described in section 1).
• What it contains: symptoms and note; names, file paths and signature details of startup entries, scheduled tasks, services and running programs; browser homepage, search engine and extension names; DNS, proxy and hosts settings; names of programs installed in the last 60 days or without a publisher; the MalGuard scan result; Windows and MalGuard versions.
• What it never contains: the contents of your documents, photos or other files, or browsing history, passwords or cookies. User names in paths and program names, Windows user IDs (SIDs) and email addresses are masked automatically. Command lines of running programs (which can include paths of open documents) are left out unless the program is unsigned.

What stays on your PC

Settings, logs, quarantined files and their records, and downloaded definitions are stored only in %LOCALAPPDATA%\MalGuard on your PC. Turning on "Watch automatically at startup" places a copy of the app in that folder and registers it as a Windows startup program; turning it off removes both. There are no ads inside the app.

5. Cookies and advertising

We don't set our own cookies for sign-in or visitor tracking. However, the website may display Google AdSense ads, which use cookies as follows.

• Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
• To learn how Google uses this information, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
• Where the law in your region requires it, we ask for your consent before advertising cookies are used.

How to refuse cookies

You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings — for example, in Chrome under Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies, and in Microsoft Edge under Settings → Cookies and site permissions. Blocking cookies doesn't stop you from using the website or downloading MalGuard.

6. Third-party services and transfers abroad

When you open the website, your browser connects directly to the services below, which may receive your IP address and other connection details.

You can refuse advertising cookies as described in section 5, and nothing reaches Gmail unless you email us.

7. Sharing and outsourcing

We don't sell or share your personal information with third parties, except where the law requires it or an investigative authority requests it through legal procedures. We currently don't outsource any personal information processing; if that changes, we'll say so in this policy.

8. Your rights

You can ask to access, correct, delete or stop the processing of your personal information at any time by emailing the address in section 11, and we'll act without delay. Server logs contain only IP addresses, not names, so please include the IP address and the approximate time of access you want us to check.

9. Security measures

• The website and update files are always delivered over an encrypted connection (HTTPS).
• We record only the minimum information needed and delete it when the retention period ends.
• Access to the server and its logs is limited to the operator.
• The app checks the integrity (SHA-256) of update files before installing them, and doesn't apply any file that fails the check.

10. Children

MalGuard has no sign-up and never asks for names or contact details, so we don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 14.

11. Privacy contact

Please send any privacy questions, complaints or requests to this address.

12. Remedies (Korea)

If you need help with a privacy violation, you can contact these Korean agencies for mediation or advice:

• Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee: +82-1833-6972 (www.kopico.go.kr)
• Personal Information Infringement Report Center (KISA): 118 within Korea (privacy.kisa.or.kr)
• Supreme Prosecutors' Office: 1301 within Korea (www.spo.go.kr)
• Korean National Police Agency: 182 within Korea (ecrm.police.go.kr)

13. Changes to this policy

We'll announce changes on the website at least 7 days before they take effect, or 30 days before for changes that significantly affect your rights.

Effective date: September 22, 2026

Previous version: in effect September 14 – 21, 2026