Terms of Use
Terms governing use of the SSB Defence website, resources and public information.
Version 1.0 — August 2026
1. About These Terms
This website is operated by StartSmartBusiness.com Inc., doing business under the trade name SSB Defence. These Terms of Use govern access to and use of the SSB Defence website, including its articles, guides, checklists, downloadable resources, assessment tools and other publicly available content.
Separate agreements, proposals, statements of work or service terms may apply when SSB Defence provides professional services to a client. Where those terms differ from these website Terms, the applicable client agreement will govern the professional engagement.
2. General Information Only
Information provided through this website is intended for general educational and business-information purposes. Cybersecurity, privacy, compliance and technology requirements vary according to an organization's systems, industry, jurisdiction, contractual obligations and circumstances.
3. No Professional Relationship Created by Website Use
Accessing this website, downloading a resource, submitting a general inquiry or completing a public self-assessment does not by itself establish a client, consultant, fiduciary or other professional relationship with SSB Defence. A professional engagement is established only when the applicable scope and terms of service have been agreed upon by SSB Defence and the client.
4. Cybersecurity Information
Cybersecurity risk cannot be completely eliminated, and no security product, configuration, assessment or service can guarantee that an organization will never experience a security incident. Technology and cybersecurity conditions also change continuously.
5. Compliance and Regulatory Information
The website may discuss laws, regulations, standards and frameworks including PIPEDA, Canadian privacy requirements, GDPR, NIS2, PCI DSS, NIST cybersecurity guidance and other industry or contractual requirements. This information is provided for general awareness and educational purposes.
SSB Defence is not a law firm, and website content does not constitute legal advice. Organizations should obtain qualified legal, regulatory, accounting, insurance or other professional advice where appropriate.
6. Assessments and Checklists
The website may provide questionnaires, checklists or self-assessment tools intended to help organizations identify issues that may warrant further review. Results are informational and should not be interpreted as certification, an audit, a penetration test, a compliance determination, a guarantee of security, an insurance assessment or a complete cybersecurity risk assessment.
7. Downloadable Guides and Resources
SSB Defence may provide guides, checklists, white papers, articles and other materials for download. Although reasonable efforts are made to provide useful and accurate information, technology, laws, standards and vendor requirements change over time. Users should verify information that is material to a business, security, compliance or investment decision.
8. Acceptable Use
You may use this website for lawful business, informational and educational purposes. You must not knowingly attempt unauthorized access, circumvent security controls, introduce malicious code, materially interfere with website operation, submit fraudulent or abusive information, impersonate another party, transmit passwords or malware through public forms, or use SSB Defence materials in connection with unlawful activity.
9. Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise indicated, website content and original SSB Defence materials—including text, graphics, guides, checklists, branding and other original resources—are owned by or licensed to StartSmartBusiness.com Inc. Visitors may download and use publicly provided resources for their own personal or internal business purposes.
Unless permission is provided, SSB Defence materials may not be republished as another organization's work, sold or commercially redistributed, materially altered and represented as an SSB Defence publication, used to create misleading claims of endorsement or used in a manner that infringes applicable intellectual-property rights.
10. Third-Party Services and Links
The website may contain links to or interact with third-party websites, platforms, software or services. SSB Defence does not control third-party services and is not responsible for their availability, content, security, privacy practices or terms. A link or reference to a third party does not necessarily constitute an endorsement.
11. Website Availability
We seek to maintain a reliable and secure website, but uninterrupted availability cannot be guaranteed. The website may occasionally be unavailable because of maintenance, infrastructure changes, outages, security events, third-party interruptions or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.
12. Accuracy and Currency of Information
Reasonable efforts are made to keep website information accurate and useful. Technology products, software lifecycles, cybersecurity threats, pricing, standards, laws and regulatory requirements can change rapidly. Users remain responsible for verifying information important to a particular decision.
13. Limitation of Liability
To the extent permitted by applicable law, StartSmartBusiness.com Inc. and SSB Defence will not be liable for losses or damages arising solely from reliance on general website information or publicly available resources where no professional engagement has been established. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is prohibited by applicable law.
Any liability relating to professional services provided under a client engagement will be governed by the applicable service agreement.
14. No Security Guarantee
No website, network, information system or cybersecurity control can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Use of SSB Defence resources, recommendations or services does not constitute a guarantee against cyberattack, data loss, system failure, business interruption, fraud, regulatory action or other technology-related loss.
15. Privacy and Cookies
Personal information collected through the website is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Information about cookies and similar technologies is provided in our Cookie Policy.
16. Changes to the Website or These Terms
We may update website content, functionality or these Terms as our services, technology, legal requirements or business practices change. The current Terms posted on the website will apply from their stated effective date.
17. Governing Law
Unless applicable law requires otherwise, these Terms and use of this website are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Any dispute concerning use of the public website will be subject to the courts having jurisdiction in Ontario, except where applicable law requires otherwise.
18. Contact
Questions concerning these Terms may be directed to:
SSB Defence
A trade name of StartSmartBusiness.com Inc.
Email SSB Defence
19. Updates
These Terms may be reviewed periodically as the website, services and applicable requirements evolve.
Version 1.0 — August 2026