Terms of Service

Last updated: August 14, 2026 · Read carefully — this is software that can permanently destroy your data.

1. The service

Cerberus ("the Service") is a "dead man's switch" for Windows PCs. An agent installed on your device periodically checks in with our server. If it fails to check in within a window you configure, it encrypts your protected folders, and after a further window it securely wipes them. The Service is operated by Viemme, contactable at info@viemme.co.uk.

2. Beta status & pricing

The Service is currently in private/public beta and offered free of charge. We may introduce paid plans in the future; if and when that happens, current users will be notified by email in advance and given the option to discontinue use without penalty before any charge applies.

3. Account

• You must provide a valid email address to register.
• You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure.
• You must be at least 16 years old to use the Service.
• One account per natural person or organisation. Sharing accounts is allowed within the same organisation if appropriate.

4. Your responsibilities

• Master password. The encryption key is derived from a master password that only you know. If you lose it, the encrypted files cannot be recovered — not by you, not by us. Store it safely (password manager, paper in a safe, etc.).
• Configuration. You choose which folders to protect, which timers to apply, and when to test the system. Test on a non-critical folder first.
• Backups. Cerberus is not a backup tool. Always keep an independent backup of files you cannot afford to lose. The Service is designed to make data unavailable to a thief, which is the same as making it unavailable to you if you lose access.
• Heartbeat connectivity. The agent needs to reach our server periodically. Long offline periods will eventually trigger ALERT → ENCRYPT → WIPE locally, by design. Configure timers consistent with your connectivity habits.
• Reassurance. If you receive an ALERT and your device is safe, use the dashboard "Reassure" button or generate an offline reassurance token. Failing to do so will let the timer continue.

5. What Cerberus does NOT promise

• It does not protect you against an attacker who already has your master password.
• It does not protect against firmware-level attacks, evil-maid attacks against an unlocked session, or hardware key extraction.
• It does not detect tampering by an administrator-level attacker who has time, expertise and physical access.
• It does not replace endpoint protection, full-disk encryption (BitLocker), or your organisation's MDM. It complements them.

6. Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided "as is", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including (without limitation) merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, reliability, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that encryption / wipe operations will always complete successfully on every supported platform.

7. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Viemme shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or any loss of data, profits or goodwill, arising from or relating to the use of the Service — including (without limitation) the destruction or unavailability of data caused by the intended encryption/wipe behaviour or by misconfiguration.

Where liability cannot be excluded by law, our aggregate liability is limited to the fees you have paid us for the Service in the 12 months preceding the event giving rise to the claim. While the Service is free of charge, that amount is £0.

8. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the Service to destroy data you do not own or have explicit authority to destroy.
• Reverse engineer the agent or server with intent to circumvent security or attack other users.
• Probe, scan, or load-test the infrastructure beyond normal use.
• Use the Service to facilitate any illegal activity.

We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate this section, with or without notice depending on severity.

9. Termination

• You may close your account at any time from the dashboard or by emailing us.
• We may close your account for material breach of these Terms, after a reasonable opportunity to fix the issue where appropriate.
• On termination, your account data is deleted as described in the Privacy Policy.

10. Changes

We may update these Terms. Material changes will be communicated by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use after that period constitutes acceptance.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any dispute will be resolved by the competent courts of England and Wales, without prejudice to any non-waivable consumer protection rights you may have under the law of your country of residence.

12. Contact

Questions or notices about these Terms: info@viemme.co.uk.