Cisco Systems, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively “Cisco”) are committed to protecting your privacy and providing you with a positive experience on our websites and while using our products and services (“Solutions”).
This Privacy Statement applies to Cisco websites and Solutions that link to or reference this Privacy Statement and describes how we handle Personal Data and the choices available to you regarding collection, use, access, and how to update and correct your Personal Data. Additional information on our Personal Data practices with respect to Cisco Solutions may be provided in Solution specific privacy data sheets and maps, offer descriptions, or other notices provided prior to or at the time of data collection. Certain Cisco websites and Solutions may have their own privacy documentation describing how we handle Personal Data for those websites or Solutions specifically. To the extent a specific notice for a website or Solution differs from this Privacy Statement, the specific notice will take precedent. If there is a difference in translated, non-English versions of this Privacy Statement, the U.S.-English version will take precedent.
What is Personal Data?
“Personal Data” is any information that can reasonably be used to identify an individual, or otherwise make an individual identifiable, and may include name, address, email address, phone number, login information (such as account number and password), social media account information, or payment card number.
The types of Personal Data we may process depends on the business context and the purposes for which it was collected. It may include:
If we link other data with your Personal Data, we will treat that linked data as Personal Data.
Collection and use of your Personal Data
We may collect data, including Personal Data, about you as you use our websites and Solutions and interact with us. We also acquire Personal Data from trusted third-party sources and engage third parties to collect Personal Data on our behalf, in accordance with applicable laws.
We may use your Personal Data for the purposes of operating and helping to ensure the security of our business; delivering, improving, and customizing our websites and Solutions; sending notices, marketing, and other communications; and for other legitimate purposes permitted by applicable law.
We collect Personal Data for a variety of business reasons, such as:
If you choose to provide Cisco with a third party’s Personal Data (such as name, email, and phone number), you represent that you have the third party’s permission to do so. Examples include forwarding reference or marketing material to a friend or sending job referrals. Third parties may unsubscribe from any future communication following the link provided in the initial message or by submitting a Privacy Request.
In some instances, Cisco and the third parties we engage may automatically collect data through cookies, web logs, web beacons, and other similar applications. Please read the Use of cookies and similar technologies section below for more information.
Your privacy rights
We need your help to keep your Personal Data accurate and up to date. We provide options to access, correct, suppress, or delete your Personal Data:
Your choices and selecting your communication preferences
We give you the option to receive a variety of information related to our business, programs, website, and Solutions. You can manage your communication preferences at any time through the following methods:
These choices do not apply to service notifications or other required communications that are considered part of certain programs, websites, and Solutions which you may receive periodically unless you cancel or stop use in accordance with its terms and conditions. With your permission, your Personal Data may be shared with third parties (such as Cisco business partners or vendors) so that they may inform you about websites, programs, products, or services that may be of interest to you. To opt-out of with third parties for their marketing purposes, please submit a Privacy Request.
By using or engaging with our websites, Solutions, or otherwise providing Personal Data to us, you agree that we may communicate with you regarding security, privacy, and administrative issues relating to your use. For example, if we learn of a security system’s breach, we may attempt to notify you by posting a notice on our websites, sending an email, or otherwise contacting you.
Disclosing your Personal Data
Personal Data may be processed by third parties for the purposes of operating our business; delivering, analyzing, improving, securing, and customizing our websites and Solutions; sending marketing and other communications related to our business; and for other legitimate purposes permitted by applicable law(s); or otherwise with your consent.
Personal Data may be disclosed in the following ways:
Security of your Personal Data
We take reasonable and appropriate steps to protect the Personal Data entrusted to us and treat it securely in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Cisco implements physical, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect your Personal Data from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, and unauthorized disclosure or access. We also contractually require that our suppliers protect such information from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or access.
Retention and disposal of Personal Data
We will retain your Personal Data as needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. We will retain and use your Personal Data as necessary to comply with our business requirements, legal obligations, resolve disputes, protect our assets, and enforce our rights and agreements.
We will not retain Personal Data in identifiable form when the purpose(s) for which the Personal Data was collected have been achieved and there is no legal or business need to retain such Personal Data. Thereafter, the data will either be destroyed, deleted, anonymized, and/or removed from our systems.
Use of cookies and similar technologies
Cisco uses automatic data collection tools, such as cookies, embedded web links, pixels, tags, and web beacons. These tools collect certain standard information that your browser sends to us (such as Internet Protocol (IP) address, MAC address, clickstream behavior, and telemetry).
These tools help make your visit to our website and Solutions easier, more efficient, and personalized. We also use the information to improve our website and Solutions, provide greater service and value, better understand your potential interest in our websites and Solutions, and provide you with more relevant ads and other content.
We partner with third parties to display advertising on our website and to manage our advertising on other sites. Our third-party partners may use cookies or similar technologies to provide you with advertising based on your browsing activities and interests. Where this type of third party advertising is disabled, generic, non-personalized ads will continue to be displayed.
For more information, or if you would like to opt out of interest-based advertising, see How Cisco Uses Automatic Data Collection Tools.
To update your cookie preferences, click the “Cookies” link at the bottom of any page on this website. Additionally, you may be able to use other tools to control cookies and similar technologies. For example, you may have controls in your internet browser to limit how the websites you visit are able to use cookies.
Automated decision-making
We process Personal Data using both manual and automated methods of processing. Automated methods are often used to assist our manual methods in accordance with applicable laws. Where an individual’s rights and legitimate interests may be impacted by such automated decision-making, we will provide the impacted individual the opportunity to inquire about the decision or request manual review. Manual review may be conducted by Cisco employees or trusted third-party business partners working on Cisco’s behalf.
Linked websites
We may provide links to other third-party websites and services that are outside Cisco’s control and governed by the respective third-party’s privacy policy, not by this Privacy Statement. We encourage you to review the privacy statements posted on the websites you visit and in the applications you use.
Forums and chat rooms
If you participate in a discussion forum, local communities, or chat room on a Cisco website, you should be aware that the information you provide there (such as your public profile and comments) will be made broadly available to others and could be used to contact you, send you unsolicited messages, or for purposes neither Cisco nor you have control over. Also, please recognize that individual forums and chat rooms may have additional rules and conditions. Cisco is not responsible for the Personal Data or any other information you choose to submit in these forums. To request removal of your Personal Data from our blog or community forum, please submit a Privacy Request. In some cases, we may not be able to remove all Personal Data and comments. In such cases, we will provide you with a response and explanation.
Children’s privacy
Cisco encourages parents and guardians to take an active role in their children’s online activities. Cisco does not knowingly collect Personal Data from children without appropriate parental or guardian consent. If you believe that we may have collected Personal Data from someone under the applicable age of consent in your country without proper consent, please let us know using the methods described in the Questions, comments, and how to contact us section and we will take appropriate measures to investigate and address the issue promptly.
International transfer, processing, and storage of Personal Data
As Cisco is a global organization, Personal Data may be transferred to Cisco in the United States of America, to any Cisco subsidiary worldwide, or to third parties and business partners as described above that are located in various jurisdictions around the world. Similarly, Personal Data may be accessed from countries where Cisco or its subsidiaries have operations. Cisco will transfer your Personal Data in accordance with approved transfer mechanisms as well as any applicable local legal requirements.
By using our websites and Solutions or providing any Personal Data to us, where applicable law permits, you acknowledge and accept the transfer, processing, and storage of such information outside of your country of residence where data protection standards may be different.
Cisco safeguards and enables the global transfer of Personal Data in a number of ways:
Cisco’s global privacy program, described in this Privacy Statement, complies with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross-Border Privacy Rules System (CBPRs) and Privacy Recognition for Processors (PRP). The APEC CBPR system and PRP provides a framework for organizations to ensure protection of Personal Data transferred among participating APEC economies. More information about the APEC Privacy Framework, CBPRs, and PRP can be found on the CBPRs site. Our certification applies to our business processes across our global operations that process and transfer Personal Data to/from our affiliates around the world. To view our certifications, please see the APEC CBPR System Directory and the APEC PRP Directory.
For more information on the scope of our participation, or to submit a privacy inquiry through BBB National Programs, our Accountability Agent, please click on the official seal below:
Cisco’s global privacy program and policies have been approved by the Dutch, Polish, Spanish, and other relevant European privacy regulators as providing additional safeguards for the protection of privacy, fundamental rights, and freedoms of individuals for transfers of Personal Data protected under European law. Cisco’s Binding Corporate Rules—Controller (BCR-C) provide that international transfers made worldwide by Cisco entities bound by these rules as a controller of European Personal Data benefit from appropriate safeguards.
A copy of our BCR-C can be found in our Global Privacy Policy. More information about BCRs can be found on the European Commission site.
When we transfer Personal Data out of the European Union (“EU”), European Economic Area (“EEA”), the United Kingdom (“U.K.”)(and Gibraltar), and Switzerland to countries that do not benefit from an adequacy decision, we may rely on Standard Contractual Clauses, Binding Corporate Rules—Controller, or other legal transfer mechanisms with appropriate safeguards in place to protect Personal Data. Additionally, Cisco Systems, Inc. and its U.S. based subsidiaries (collectively “Cisco-U.S.”) comply with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (EU-U.S. DPF), the U.K. Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF, and the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (Swiss-U.S. DPF) for transfers of Personal Data from the EU, EEA, U.K. (and Gibraltar), and Switzerland to the U.S.
Cisco-U.S. has certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the EU-U.S. DPF Principles with regards to the processing of Personal Data received from the EU and EEA in reliance on the EU-U.S. DPF and from the U.K. (and Gibraltar) in reliance on the U.K. Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF. Cisco-U.S. has also certified to the U.S. Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Swiss-U.S. DPF Principles with regards to the processing of Personal Data received from Switzerland in reliance on the Swiss-U.S. DPF. If there is any conflict between the terms in this Online Privacy Statement and the EU-U.S. DPF Principles, the U.K. Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF Principles, and/or the Swiss-U.S. DPF Principles, the DPF Principles shall govern. For more information about the DPF program, and to view our certification, please visit the DPF Website.
Complaint resolution
Cisco commits to resolve complaints and concerns about your privacy and our collection and use of your Personal Data. If you have concerns or complaints about your privacy and our collection and use of your Personal Data, please contact us via the Privacy Request Form.
For complaints or concerns about your privacy and our collection or use of your Personal Data transferred to the U.S. pursuant to the DPF Principles, please see Data Privacy Framework.
Alternatively, you can contact the data protection supervisory authority in your jurisdiction for assistance. (Note, Cisco’s main establishment in the EU is in the Netherlands. As such, our EU lead authority is the Dutch Autoritiet Persoonsgegevens.)
Your California privacy rights
For business purposes in the last 12 months, Cisco may have collected, used, and shared Personal Data about you as described in this Privacy Statement. Each category of data that may be used by Cisco or shared with third parties is categorically outlined in this Privacy Statement.
California consumers have a right to: (1) request access, correction, and deletion of their Personal Data, (2) opt out of the sale or sharing of their Personal Data, and (3) not be discriminated against for exercising one of their California privacy rights.
All individuals have the right to request access to and deletion of the information Cisco holds about them either online via the Cisco Privacy Request Form or by mail to Cisco Systems, Inc., Privacy Office, 170 West Tasman Dr., San Jose, CA 95134, USA.
In addition, California residents may also submit a request by calling direct 408-906-2726 or toll free 833-774-2726 (833-PRI-CSCO).
Cisco does not sell the Personal Data of California consumers.
Cisco does not discriminate against individuals for exercising their privacy rights.
View the Cisco CCPA Metrics Report.
Residents of the State of California, under California Civil Code § 1798.83, have the right to request from companies conducting business in California a list of all third parties to which the company has disclosed Personal Data during the preceding year for direct marketing purposes. Alternatively, the law provides that if the company has a privacy policy that gives either an opt-out or opt-in choice for use of your Personal Data by third parties (such as advertisers) for marketing purposes, the company may instead provide you with information on how to exercise your disclosure choice options.
Cisco has a comprehensive Privacy Statement and provides you with details on how you may either opt-out or opt-in to the use of your Personal Data by third parties for direct marketing purposes. Therefore, we are not required to maintain nor disclose a list of the third parties that received your Personal Data for marketing purposes during the preceding year.
Updates to this Cisco Privacy Statement
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. If we modify our Privacy Statement, we will post the revised version here with an updated revision date. If we make material changes to our Privacy Statement, we may also notify you by other means, such as by posting a notice on our websites or sending you a notification. By continuing to use our website after such revisions are in effect, you accept and agree to the revisions and to abide by them.
The Cisco Privacy Statement was revised and effective as of September 26, 2023.
Click here for the previous version of the Privacy Statement.
Questions, comments, and how to contact us
We value your opinion. Should you have questions or comments related to this Privacy Statement, please submit a Privacy Request or send mail to:
Chief Privacy Officer Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Americas Privacy Officer Cisco Systems, Inc. 170 West Tasman Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 USA
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Privacy Officer Cisco Systems International BV Haarlerbergweg 13-19, 1101 CH Amsterdam-Zuidoost, Netherlands
Asia, Pacific, Japan, and China (APJC) Privacy Officer Cisco Systems (USA) Pte Ltd 80 Pasir Panjang Road Bldg 80, Lvl 25, Mapletree Biz City Singapore, Singapore 117372, Singapore
Privacy Statement
For information on additional Cisco offers, see the Privacy Data Sheets on the Cisco Trust Center.
How to Contact Us
Mail: Cisco Systems, Inc. Legal Department 170 West Tasman Dr. San Jose, CA 95134 USA
