TRUST / THE CLOUD FORGE
Terms of Service
The Cloud Forge provides practical cloud-security learning and evidence of capability.
Updated 12 October 2026
1. Agreement to these Terms
These Terms describe the conditions for using The Cloud Forge, including its website, learning platform, AI features, Forge Credits and portfolio services. By creating an account or using the service, you agree to these Terms to the extent permitted by applicable law. Read them together with our Privacy Policy and the purchase information shown before checkout. If you do not agree, do not use the service.
2. The service
The Cloud Forge is an AI-powered, project-based cloud-security learning platform. Learners investigate realistic scenarios, complete missions, submit private evidence, receive coaching and assessment, track progress and prepare portfolio proof. Exercises may use fictional or simulated systems and records. The service does not grant permission to access, test or deploy changes to any real system outside a separately authorised environment.
3. Eligibility and accounts
You must be legally able to enter the applicable agreement and meet the age and consent requirements that apply to you. Provide accurate account information, keep access credentials secure and protect your recovery email. If acting for an organisation, you must have authority to submit its information and use the service on its behalf. You are responsible for activity you authorise through your account. Tell us promptly about suspected unauthorised access; do not send your password to support.
4. Acceptable use
Do not use the service unlawfully, attack real systems, attempt unauthorised access, steal credentials, submit malicious uploads or interfere with platform operation. Do not access another learner's private data, evade access controls, abuse AI features, automate spam or attempt to manipulate credits, payments or assessment results. Only upload and process material you are authorised to use. Security exercises are educational and do not authorise attacks on The Cloud Forge, providers or third parties.
5. Educational nature and outcomes
Project validation is evidence of assessed learning within The Cloud Forge, not vendor certification. AI assessment is not professional accreditation. The service does not guarantee employment, certification, salary, a visa, job placement or any specific career outcome. Portfolio proof should accurately describe the work completed and its limitations. Learning outputs are not a substitute for a professional security assessment of production systems.
6. Forge Credits
Forge Credits are internal service-usage units used for specified AI-powered actions. Costs are displayed before eligible actions. Credits have no cash value and are not transferable unless The Cloud Forge explicitly provides a transfer feature. They are not cryptocurrency, stored value, an investment or a bank balance. Credits may be reserved while an action runs; failed operations release unused reservations according to the platform's operation rules. Report an unexpected deduction rather than attempting to modify ledger records.
7. Free Welcome Credits
New eligible learners may receive 50 Welcome Forge Credits under the current welcome programme. Promotional and free credits are for eligible service usage and do not constitute a cash balance or payment. Eligibility and anti-abuse checks apply. Welcome Credits and administrative credit adjustments do not themselves unlock paid professional portfolio entitlement.
8. Paid Forge Credit packs
Current Forge Credit packs are one-time purchases, not subscriptions. Current prices, currency and credit quantity are displayed on the Pricing and checkout interface immediately before purchase. Review these details before paying. A later change to an offer does not change the purchase details of a transaction already completed. This policy does not introduce recurring billing or require a payment to create an eligible free account.
9. Payments
Stripe handles USD checkout and Paystack handles NGN checkout. Payment must be successfully verified server-side before purchased credits are issued. The Cloud Forge does not store raw card credentials; payment providers handle them under their own terms. Duplicate or replayed payment events must not create duplicate credits. If payment succeeds but credits do not appear, contact hello@thecloudforge.app with the provider, approximate date, currency and transaction reference where available. Never send a full card number or CVV.
10. Digital fulfilment
Purchased Forge Credits are digital service units delivered to your Cloud Forge account after successful payment verification. A redirect, receipt screenshot or browser success message alone does not establish verified fulfilment. Provider or network delays may require further verification. Check your account balance and purchase records, and contact support if a verified purchase has not been fulfilled. Digital delivery does not publish your learning work or portfolio.
11. Refunds, failed transactions and disputes
Failed or cancelled checkouts do not grant credits. Report incorrect or duplicate charges promptly so we can investigate with the relevant provider. Refund requests are reviewed individually, considering the transaction, service usage and applicable consumer law. Consumed Forge Credits normally represent already-delivered digital service usage, but that does not remove rights or remedies that apply to a faulty or incorrectly supplied service. Nothing in these Terms limits statutory consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. Refunds are not automatically issued by the application; contact support for review and payment disputes.
12. Professional portfolio entitlement
Under the current product rules, the first qualifying successful non-zero paid Forge Credit purchase permanently unlocks professional portfolio sharing and export functionality. Welcome, promotional and admin credits do not create this entitlement. Payment does not automatically publish anything: you control portfolio visibility and select eligible material to share. Your own private learning work, evidence and supported account-data export remain distinct from professional presentation features. Account security and acceptable-use restrictions still apply.
13. AI services
AI coaching, evidence analysis and assessment can be inaccurate, incomplete or uncertain. Review outputs with professional judgement, verify important technical claims and do not treat an AI answer as permission to act against real systems. Some assessments require human review and may not validate completion immediately. You are responsible for the work you submit and decisions you make using it. Only send content you are authorised to process. AI functionality depends on provider availability and the credits and controls applicable to the requested action.
14. Learner content and intellectual property
You retain rights in your original work. You give The Cloud Forge the permission necessary to store, process, display privately, assess and otherwise use that work to deliver the service and support it. This includes processing by service providers needed for features you request, and publishing selected portfolio material when you choose to share it. That permission does not transfer ownership of your original work to us. Respect rights in platform materials and third-party content; do not copy or distribute them beyond the permission or licence that applies.
15. Public portfolio responsibility
Only publish material you have rights to share. Remove confidential, proprietary and personal information that should not be public, including credentials and customer data. Review selected summaries and claims before publication, and accurately distinguish completed, validated work from practice or unsupported credentials. Unlisted links can be passed to other people; public pages may be indexed. You can change visibility, but external copies and search-engine caches may persist. Original private evidence is not automatically published.
16. Availability and modifications
We aim to operate a reliable service, but availability depends on infrastructure, maintenance and third-party providers. There is no uptime guarantee unless explicitly contracted. We may update features, materials or operational controls and will provide notice where appropriate or legally required for material changes. Applicable rights relating to an already-purchased service remain in effect; this provision does not permit us to disregard non-excludable obligations.
17. Suspension and termination
We may restrict, suspend or terminate access where reasonably necessary to address fraud, abuse, security risk, unlawful use or violations of these Terms. Urgent security situations may require immediate action. Contact support to request a review of a restriction. Suspension can withdraw portfolio sharing and does not erase learning or financial records. Any action affecting paid services remains subject to applicable law and non-excludable consumer rights.
18. Account closure
Request account closure through hello@thecloudforge.app or Contact & Support. We will verify ownership before acting. Use available account export and evidence downloads if you need copies of your work. Closure does not promise automatic immediate deletion of every record: financial, assessment, dispute and security history may require retention as explained in the Privacy Policy. Contact us separately about unused paid credits or disputed purchases so those circumstances can be reviewed.
19. Third-party services
The service relies on third-party infrastructure, hosting, authentication, data-processing, AI and communication services. Those services and external resources may have their own applicable terms and privacy notices. Stripe handles eligible USD checkout and Paystack handles eligible NGN checkout. We do not control every provider's availability or the content of external websites. Use third-party services in accordance with their requirements. Our use of providers does not remove our own obligations to you under applicable law.
20. Disclaimers and limitation of liability
Use the platform and its educational outputs with care. We do not promise that all materials or AI outputs are error-free, suitable for every production environment or sufficient to achieve a particular outcome. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we are not responsible for indirect or consequential loss arising from misuse of educational outputs or unauthorised activity outside the service. No disclaimer or limitation excludes liability or a statutory right that cannot lawfully be excluded. These Terms do not replace mandatory consumer protections or remedies.
21. Questions, disputes and applicable law
Contact us first with questions or a dispute so we can investigate the relevant records and seek a practical resolution. This does not prevent you from exercising applicable rights or contacting a competent regulator or court. Disputes remain subject to applicable law and mandatory consumer protections; these Terms do not impose a restriction on forums available under those protections. Changes to these Terms will be identified by the updated date, with further notice where appropriate or required.
22. Contact
Email hello@thecloudforge.app or use Contact & Support for account, billing, Forge Credits, assessment, portfolio, privacy or Terms enquiries. Provide enough information to identify the issue without sending passwords, API keys, full payment-card details or confidential cloud/customer credentials.