Backup via SSH - Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 19, 2025

At Backup via SSH ("we", "us", or "our"), we are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how our macOS application, Backup via SSH, handles your data, specifically focusing on how we process and use your server configurations and backup data.

1. Information We Access

Backup via SSH does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data on external servers. The application solely interacts with data that you manually provide, including:

Server connection details (hostname, username, SSH port)
SSH key file paths (not the keys themselves)
Directory paths to backup
Application preferences and settings

All of this information remains exclusively on your local device.

2. How We Use Your Server Configurations

The server configurations you enter into Backup via SSH are used exclusively for the purpose of connecting to your remote servers and creating backups. This includes:

Server Details: Used to establish SSH connections to your remote servers
SSH Keys: Referenced for authentication purposes only; the keys themselves remain in their original location on your system and are never copied or transmitted by the app
Directory Lists: Used to determine which server directories to sync during backups
Backup History: Timestamps of successful backups are stored locally for display purposes

All server configurations are stored locally on your device. Backup via SSH does not transmit, share, or store any of this information outside of your device.

3. Data Collection, Sharing, and Disclosure

Backup via SSH does not collect, store, or share any personal data with external parties. All information related to your server configurations and backups is processed locally on your device and is not transmitted to any external servers, analytics services, or third-party entities.

We do not have access to your server credentials, SSH keys, passphrases, or backup data at any time.

4. Data Storage and Security

Since Backup via SSH operates entirely on your device without transmitting data off your system, all server configuration data remains secure within your local environment. The app implements the following security measures:

Local Storage Only: All configurations are stored using macOS's UserDefaults, which is sandboxed and protected by macOS security
No Password Storage: SSH keys and passphrases are never stored by the application
Isolated SSH Sessions: When using passphrase-protected SSH keys, the app creates isolated ssh-agent sessions that are terminated after each backup
Sandboxed Environment: The app runs in macOS's App Sandbox, limiting access to only necessary system resources
Network Restrictions: Network access is restricted exclusively to SSH connections to servers you configure

Your backup files (ZIP archives) are stored in the ~/Backup via SSH/ directory on your Mac, protected by your macOS user account permissions.

5. Export/Import Feature

Backup via SSH includes an optional feature to export your server configurations as JSON files. When you use this feature:

Server connection details and directory lists are exported to a local JSON file of your choice
SSH keys, passphrases, and credentials are never included in exports
You control where the export file is saved and who has access to it
Import functionality allows you to restore or share these configurations, but SSH keys must be configured separately on each machine

The export/import feature is entirely optional and controlled by you. We recommend protecting exported files appropriately as they contain server hostnames and directory paths.

6. Third-Party Services

Backup via SSH does not integrate with or rely on any third-party services, analytics platforms, or external APIs for its operation. The app functions independently on your device using standard macOS tools (rsync, ssh, zip), ensuring that no external entities have access to the data you enter or your backup operations.

7. Network Communications

The only network communications performed by Backup via SSH are direct SSH connections to the servers you explicitly configure. These connections are:

Initiated only when you start a backup operation
Encrypted using SSH protocol
Direct connections between your Mac and your servers (no intermediary services)
Limited to the specific servers and directories you configure

8. Children's Privacy

Backup via SSH is a technical utility designed primarily for system administrators and developers. The app does not knowingly collect any personal information from users of any age. Since no data is collected, transmitted, or stored on external servers, the app complies with child privacy laws by design.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding this Privacy Policy or the data practices of Backup via SSH, please contact us at:

Email: volodymyr.sichka@gmail.com