Privacy & Legal Notice
Last Updated: January 2, 2026
Data Collection & Retention
Headers submitted to HeaderScope.com may be retained for further analysis and product development.
While HeaderScope processes email headers locally in your browser for immediate analysis, we may collect and retain email headers and usage information for the following purposes:
- Analyzing patterns to improve our parsing algorithms and security services
- Understanding user needs to provide relevant information about our cybersecurity offerings
- Developing new features and security tools
- Testing and quality assurance of header analysis capabilities
- Communicating about our security services, including PhishCheck and Mainstream.net MSSP services
Do not submit headers containing sensitive personal information if you do not consent to retention.
We do not sell your data to third parties. Any marketing communications will be related to our own cybersecurity services and you can opt out at any time.
PhishCheck Email Retention
When you forward emails to PhishCheck for analysis:
- Emails sent to phish@check.craigpeterson.com are processed on our servers
- We may download and retain forwarded emails for testing, improving our detection algorithms, and product development
- Retained emails are stored securely and used solely for improving PhishCheck's accuracy and capabilities
- We do not sell or share email content with third parties
Do not forward emails containing sensitive personal information if you do not consent to retention.
How HeaderScope Works
HeaderScope performs immediate analysis of email headers locally in your browser for instant results. However, submitted headers may also be transmitted to our servers for retention and further analysis.
We may additionally collect:
- Anonymized usage statistics (page views, feature usage) to understand how the tool is used
- Aggregate patterns to improve parsing algorithms and add new features
- Technical logs for security and service reliability purposes
This is separate from PhishCheck, where you explicitly forward complete emails for full analysis.
Informational Purposes Only - Not Definitive
HeaderScope is provided for informational and educational purposes only.
The analysis provided by HeaderScope:
- Is not a definitive security assessment
- Should not be relied upon as the sole basis for security decisions
- May contain parsing errors or incomplete information
- Cannot detect all forms of email threats or spoofing attempts
- Does not analyze email content, attachments, or links
Email headers can be forged or manipulated. A passing SPF, DKIM, or DMARC result does not guarantee an email is legitimate. Conversely, legitimate emails may fail authentication checks due to configuration issues.
For comprehensive email security analysis including content inspection, link following, and malware detection, consider using PhishCheck.
Disclaimer of Warranties
THIS SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.
We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Use of this service is at your own risk.
In no event shall Craig Peterson or HeaderScope.com be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from the use of this service.
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions about this privacy notice or our data practices, please contact us through PhishCheck.