Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Business Identity

Alif Host provides web hosting services, domain registration, server management, and associated online infrastructure in Pakistan. This Privacy Policy sets out the standards and practices governing how personal information, account data, and technical communications are collected, processed, retained, and safeguarded when you visit alifhost.com or utilize our customer portal at https://my.alifhost.com. We are committed to operating with commercial transparency. We only collect information that is necessary to deliver dependable hosting services, process your service requests, maintain network security, and comply with applicable laws of Pakistan. We do not engage in the sale, commercial leasing, or unauthorized dissemination of customer records.

2. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to information collected through our public marketing website (alifhost.com), our authenticated customer billing and support portal (https://my.alifhost.com), pre-sales inquiries, support ticket exchanges, and direct operational communications with our team. This policy does not apply to content, databases, or application files that you host, upload, or run on your individual hosting accounts, cloud instances, or virtual private servers. As an infrastructure tenant, you remain the data controller for the content and applications hosted within your web space, and you are responsible for maintaining appropriate security measures and privacy notices for your own end users.

3. Information Collected Directly from You

We collect personal information directly from you when you submit an inquiry, register an account, order hosting services, or communicate with our support representatives. The categories of information collected depend on the specific interaction:

• Account Registration and Identity Information: When creating an account in our Client Area, we collect your full name, email address, contact telephone or mobile number, mailing address, city, postal code, and country. For corporate accounts, business name and tax reference identifiers may be provided voluntarily.
• Account Authentication Credentials: Usernames, primary email addresses, and securely hashed passwords utilized to authenticate access to the Client Area and service control panels.
• Service Orders and Configuration Specifications: Details regarding hosting tiers selected, requested domain names, server location preferences, operating system templates, and primary DNS configurations.
• Pre-Sales and Customer Support Communications: Information submitted via our website contact form (full name, email address, subject, and message content), support tickets submitted in the Client Area, emails addressed to info@alifhost.com, and direct inquiries conducted over our official WhatsApp support channel.
• Payment Verification Records: Transaction references, bank deposit slips, payment receipt images, and Interbank Funds Transfer (IBFT) transaction numbers provided by customers to verify manual bank or mobile wallet settlements.

4. Information Collected Automatically Through Infrastructure

When you access our marketing website or portal, our infrastructure automatically records standard technical information necessary for network routing, DDoS mitigation, and diagnostic monitoring:

• Technical Connection Logs: Incoming client IP addresses, timestamps of requests, HTTP request methods, requested resource paths, referring web addresses, browser user-agent strings, and HTTP response status codes generated by our web servers and content distribution routing.
• Domain Availability Inquiries: When you enter domain names into our domain search bar, the query string is processed via our serverless availability endpoint (/api/check-domain) or forwarded to our Client Area cart. Search queries are cached temporarily in server memory for up to sixty seconds to prevent abusive automated queries and rate-limiting thresholds (up to twenty-five searches per minute per client IP address).
• Client-Side Local Storage: We utilize browser local storage on alifhost.com strictly to remember your cookie consent preferences (the "alifhost_cookie_consent" key). No personal tracking profiles are stored in client local storage.

5. Payment and Financial Transaction Data

Alif Host processes invoice payments through verified local Pakistani payment channels and cryptocurrency checkout:

• Local Pakistani Bank and Mobile Wallet Payments: Customers can settle invoices via bank transfer (IBFT) to our verified Pakistani bank accounts, or through local mobile wallets including JazzCash, Easypaisa, and SadaPay. For these transactions, customers provide a transaction reference number, payment screenshot, or deposit slip to confirm invoice clearance. Where banking rails or payment providers require account title verification on incoming transfers, account details are utilized strictly for internal payment settlement.
• Cryptocurrency Payments: For digital currency payments (such as USDT, Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Litecoin), transactions are settled through designated blockchain addresses generated inside the Client Area. Alif Host receives confirmation of the public transaction hash, received amount, and transaction completion status. We never have access to external private cryptographic keys or wallet credentials.
• Transaction Metadata Retained: Alif Host retains only non-sensitive transaction records, including our internal invoice number, transaction reference identifier, payment date, billed amount in Pakistani Rupees or cryptocurrency equivalent, and invoice payment status.

6. Legitimate Purposes of Information Processing

We process personal information exclusively for documented, legitimate business purposes directly connected to delivering and maintaining your hosting services. These purposes include:

• Account Provisioning and Management: Setting up customer accounts, configuring web hosting directories, provisioning cloud instances, creating cPanel environments, and issuing administrative access details.
• Domain Registration and Administration: Processing domain registrations, renewals, DNS updates, and registrar transfers with authoritative domain registries and accredited partner registrars.
• Billing and Financial Administration: Generating invoices, calculating applicable renewal charges, verifying payment receipts, issuing payment reminders, and maintaining statutory accounting ledgers.
• Customer Support Delivery: Responding to pre-sales inquiries, troubleshooting technical issues, resolving DNS or email deliverability difficulties, and managing support tickets.
• Infrastructure Security and Abuse Mitigation: Monitoring server resources, detecting malicious intrusion attempts, blocking automated brute-force attacks, filtering outbound spam, and enforcing our Acceptable Use Policy.
• Critical Operational Communications: Delivering essential service bulletins, planned maintenance notifications, security advisories, and policy update announcements.
• Legal Compliance: Fulfilling obligations established under applicable Pakistani law, assisting with valid court orders, and protecting the legal rights of Alif Host and our users.

7. Cookies, Local Storage, and Advertising Technologies

We believe in honest disclosure regarding cookies and tracking technologies. We do not deploy hidden surveillance scripts or behavioral tracking suites:

• Essential Functional Cookies: Our customer portal at https://my.alifhost.com uses essential session cookies (such as WHMCS session identifiers and CSRF security tokens) required to authenticate user logins, protect form submissions, maintain shopping cart selections, and navigate authenticated client pages. These cookies are strictly necessary for service operation.
• Cookie Preference Storage: We store your cookie preferences in your browser local storage under the key "alifhost_cookie_consent" so that your selections are respected during subsequent visits.
• No Third-Party Analytics Tracking: We do not embed Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, Hotjar, Cloudflare Analytics, or equivalent behavioral analytics suites on our website.
• Educational Blog Advertising: Google AdSense advertising scripts may be loaded exclusively on educational blog article pages (under the /blog/ directory) if, and only if, an active publisher identifier is configured and you have granted explicit consent for marketing cookies. Advertising scripts are never loaded on commercial hosting pages, pricing pages, checkout funnels, or customer management portals. You may update your consent preferences at any time via our Cookie Preferences dialog.

8. Domain Name Registration and Registry Requirements

When you register, renew, or transfer a domain name through Alif Host, specific registrant information must be transmitted to the sponsoring registrar and the authoritative registry operator for that top-level domain (TLD):

• ICANN-Accredited Generic Domains (.com, .net, .org, and others): In accordance with ICANN policies and the Temporary Specification for gTLD Registration Data, accredited registrars submit registrant contact data to the registry. For generic TLDs, personal contact details (such as registrant name, postal address, email, and telephone number) are generally masked or redacted in public WHOIS lookup results by default, except where permitted by applicable policy or where public disclosure is mandated. Legitimate third parties may request access to non-public registration data through established registrar disclosure processes.
• Pakistan Country-Code Domains (.pk, .com.pk, .org.pk, .net.pk, and others): Registrations within the .pk namespace are administered by PKNIC (Pakistan Network Information Center) under official PKNIC registry regulations. Registrants must provide accurate contact and administrative information in compliance with PKNIC rules. The handling and public display of .pk WHOIS records are determined by PKNIC registry guidelines and Pakistani regulatory standards.
• Accuracy Obligation: Registrants are obligated under registrar and registry regulations to maintain accurate, up-to-date contact information for all registered domain names. Providing willfully false information may result in domain suspension or cancellation by the relevant registry.

9. Third-Party Service Providers and Infrastructure Partners

To deliver reliable web hosting infrastructure, domain services, and customer communications, Alif Host engages reputable third-party service providers. These organizations process information strictly to the extent required to execute their contracted functions: • Domain Registrars and Registries: LogicBoxes and Whois.com reseller APIs for domain availability queries and generic TLD registrations; PKNIC for .pk country-code domain administration. • Client Management and Billing Platform: WHMCS software deployed at https://my.alifhost.com for customer portal management, billing workflows, and authenticated support ticketing. • Hosting Server Infrastructure: LiteSpeed Web Server for HTTP delivery, cPanel and WebHost Manager (WHM) for account control, and CloudLinux OS for secure multi-tenant server virtualization and resource fencing. • Server Data and Media Storage: Hostinger server infrastructure and MySQL relational database for administrative records and public media storage (illustrations, documentation assets). • Customer Messaging: WhatsApp (operated by Meta Platforms) used as an optional direct messaging channel for pre-sales inquiries, service assistance, and manual payment verification. • Financial Institutions: Commercial banks in Pakistan (via 1Link / IBFT) and digital wallet providers (JazzCash, Easypaisa, SadaPay) for processing manual payment transfers. Each third-party provider processes data in accordance with their respective security protocols and privacy terms. We do not authorize third parties to use customer data for their independent marketing purposes.

10. Technical and Organizational Data Security Safeguards

We implement realistic, commercially sound technical and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure: • Encrypted Data Transmission: All communications with alifhost.com and https://my.alifhost.com are encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS 1.3 / HTTPS) to protect data in transit between your browser and our servers. • Credential Protection: Client passwords and administrative credentials are cryptographically hashed using salted industry-standard hashing algorithms before storage. Passwords are never stored in plaintext. • Tenant Isolation: Shared hosting accounts are segregated using CloudLinux Lightweight Virtual Environment (LVE) technology, preventing cross-tenant access to system memory, processes, or file systems. • Network Security and Firewalls: Production servers are shielded with active firewalls, automated intrusion prevention systems, real-time brute-force defense, and DDoS mitigation. • Administrative Access Controls: Access to administrative server interfaces is restricted to authorized operations personnel using multi-factor authentication and role-based permissions. • Realistic Security Acknowledgment: While we implement practical safeguards, no system connected to the internet can be guaranteed to be entirely immune from unauthorized access or operational failure. We encourage customers to maintain strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication on their accounts.

11. Data Retention and Account Lifecycle

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably required to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as mandated by applicable legal, financial, and regulatory obligations:

• Active Accounts: Account details, contact data, and hosting configuration records are maintained throughout the active duration of your hosting or domain services.
• Cancelled or Terminated Accounts: Following service cancellation or account termination, website files, databases, and mailboxes are scheduled for deletion from server storage following the expiration grace period. However, billing records, invoice summaries, and financial transaction histories are retained for up to seven years to satisfy statutory Pakistani tax, accounting, and commercial recordkeeping obligations.
• Customer Communications: Support ticket exchanges, contact inquiries, and email correspondence may be retained for up to three years to provide continuity of support, resolve disputes, and verify service history.
• Technical Server Logs: Standard connection and web server logs are retained on a temporary, rotating basis (typically thirty to ninety days) before automated purging, unless preservation is required to investigate security incidents or network abuse.

12. Customer Privacy Rights, Account Access, and Inquiries

We provide straightforward mechanisms for customers to manage their personal information in accordance with applicable laws of Pakistan: • Review and Correction: You can review and update your name, phone number, mailing address, email preferences, and billing details at any time by logging into the Client Area at https://my.alifhost.com and navigating to your profile settings. • Account Information Requests: You may request a summary of the personal data we hold regarding your account by submitting an authenticated support ticket through the Client Area or emailing info@alifhost.com. • Data Portability: You have full access to download your website files, databases, DNS configurations, and email archives directly through your cPanel dashboard at any time during an active service period. • Account Closure and Deletion Requests: You may request cancellation of your services and closure of your account. Eligible personal data that is not subject to legal retention mandates, accounting obligations, or active dispute proceedings will be deleted or anonymized upon request. • Response Timeframe: We endeavor to acknowledge and address privacy-related inquiries within five business days.

13. International Infrastructure and Cross-Border Transfers

Because modern web hosting infrastructure, domain name registry databases, and global transit networks operate across international borders, your information and hosted content may be transferred to, routed through, or stored on servers located outside Pakistan. Where international infrastructure providers (such as upstream cloud providers or global domain registries) are utilized, they operate under contractual security standards and industry best practices. By purchasing our services or accessing our website, you acknowledge that your information may be processed across these international operational boundaries as necessary to provide internet services.

14. Protection of Minors

Alif Host services are designed and marketed strictly for businesses, professionals, developers, and adult individuals capable of entering into legally binding commercial agreements. We do not intentionally market to or collect personal information from individuals under eighteen years of age. If we become aware that an account has been registered by an individual under eighteen years of age without verifiable parental or guardian authorization, we will take prompt steps to suspend the account and delete the associated personal information, subject to necessary financial and legal retention requirements.

15. Lawful Disclosures, Legal Process, and Fraud Prevention

We treat customer information with strict confidentiality. However, we may disclose personal information and technical connection records under specific, legally mandated circumstances:

• Compliance with Law: When required to comply with applicable laws of Pakistan, valid subpoenas, court orders, or formal legal processes issued by competent judicial or regulatory authorities.
• Investigation of Abuse: When reasonably necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding suspected illegal activities, cybercrime, network abuse, phishing operations, denial-of-service attacks, or material violations of our Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy.
• Protection of Rights and Infrastructure: To protect the security, integrity, and operational availability of our servers, network infrastructure, employees, customers, or the public, as permitted by law.
• Fraud Screening: Information may be verified through internal fraud detection procedures to protect our business and customers from fraudulent chargebacks or unauthorized payment attempts.

16. Policy Updates and Notification Procedures

We may revise this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect enhancements to our hosting infrastructure, changes in business operations, adjustments to third-party services, or modifications in legal requirements. When updates are published, the revised policy will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. For substantial changes that materially impact how your personal information is managed, we will provide reasonable advance notice by posting an announcement in the Client Area at https://my.alifhost.com or sending an email notification to the primary address associated with your account. We recommend reviewing this page periodically to remain informed about our privacy standards.

17. Verified Contact Information

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your account rights, or need assistance with privacy-related matters, please contact our team using our verified contact channels: • Service Name: Alif Host • Support Email: info@alifhost.com • Administrative Email: admin@alifhost.com • Customer Support Phone: +92 313 2946143 • Official WhatsApp Support: https://wa.me/923132946143?text=Hello%20Alif%20Host,%20I%20have%20an%20inquiry%20about%20hosting%20services • Physical Address: PECHS Extension Block 6, P.E.C.H.S Block 6, Karachi, 75400, Pakistan • Client Area Portal: https://my.alifhost.com • Support Hours: Sales and general support 24/7; technical support team daily 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time