Security & Privacy

Overview

Security and privacy settings are found in Helpon → Settings → Security & Privacy. This panel centralizes every option related to data protection, regulatory compliance, and access control for your Helpon installation.

If your organization operates in healthcare, dental, physiotherapy, or any patient-facing industry, these settings are critical. Proper configuration ensures that your chat system complies with data-protection regulations such as GDPR, ePrivacy, and local healthcare privacy laws.

The Security & Privacy panel is organized into the following areas:

• GDPR Compliance — Cookie consent, data processing agreements, and visitor data rights
• Data Retention — Retention periods, auto-deletion schedules, and archiving policies
• Encryption — API key protection, data-at-rest encryption, and SSL/TLS enforcement
• Consent Management — Pre-chat consent, cookie banners, and consent logging
• Medical Disclaimers — Healthcare disclaimer templates, auto-display rules, and regulatory notices
• Data Export & Deletion — GDPR data subject requests, bulk operations, and export formats
• Audit Logs — Activity tracking, searchable log viewer, and log export
• Access Control — Role-based permissions, custom capabilities, and security recommendations

GDPR Compliance

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to any organization that processes personal data of EU/EEA residents. Helpon includes built-in tools to help you operate within GDPR requirements.

Enabling GDPR Mode

Visitor Data Rights

When GDPR Mode is active, visitors can exercise their data rights directly from the chat widget. Helpon supports the following rights:

• Right of Access — Visitors can request a copy of all personal data Helpon stores about them
• Right to Portability — Data can be exported in machine-readable JSON or CSV format
• Right to Erasure — Visitors can request complete deletion of their data from the system
• Right to Rectification — Visitors can update or correct their stored personal information

Data Retention

Data retention settings control how long Helpon stores conversation logs, contact records, and uploaded files. Configuring appropriate retention periods reduces your data liability and aligns with the GDPR principle of storage limitation.

Retention Period Settings

Auto-Deletion Schedule

When retention periods expire, Helpon can delete data automatically. Navigate to Security & Privacy → Data Retention → Auto-Deletion and configure the schedule:

Retention Exceptions

Certain data can be exempted from auto-deletion:

• Starred conversations — Manually starred chats are preserved until un-starred
• Active contacts — Contacts with ongoing conversations or upcoming appointments are excluded
• Legal hold — Data placed on legal hold is never auto-deleted until the hold is removed

Archiving

Instead of deleting old data, you can archive it. Archived records are moved to a compressed archive table and are no longer searchable in the main interface but can be restored or exported on demand. Enable archiving under Data Retention → Archive Before Delete.

Encryption

Helpon uses multiple layers of encryption to protect sensitive data both in transit and at rest.

API Key Encryption (AES-256)

All API keys (Anthropic, OpenAI, Vapi.ai, WhatsApp Business, and third-party integrations) are encrypted using AES-256-CBC before being stored in the WordPress database. The encryption key is derived from your WordPress AUTH_KEY and SECURE_AUTH_SALT constants defined in wp-config.php.

Data at Rest Encryption

Sensitive fields in the Helpon database tables (visitor email addresses, phone numbers, custom fields marked as PII, and file attachment paths) are encrypted at the application level before being written to the database. This means even direct database access does not reveal plaintext personal data.

SSL/TLS Requirements

Helpon requires an active SSL certificate on your WordPress installation. All chat widget communications, webhook payloads, API calls, and WebRTC signaling are transmitted over HTTPS/TLS 1.2 or higher. If SSL is not detected, Helpon displays a warning on the dashboard and disables real-time chat features.

Key Storage Best Practices

• Never store API keys in plain text files, theme files, or version-controlled repositories
• Use environment variables or wp-config.php constants when possible
• Rotate API keys every 90 days using the built-in key rotation tool
• Restrict database access to only necessary user accounts with minimal privileges

Consent Management

Consent management ensures visitors explicitly agree to data collection before interacting with the chat widget. This is required under GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, and many regional privacy laws.

Pre-Chat Consent Checkbox

When enabled, visitors must check a consent box before sending their first message. The checkbox appears at the bottom of the chat widget's greeting screen.

Custom Consent Text

You can customize the consent checkbox text to match your privacy policy and branding. Navigate to Security & Privacy → Consent Management → Consent Text.

I agree to the <a href="/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> and consent
to having my data processed to respond to my inquiry. I understand
I can withdraw consent at any time by contacting
<a href="mailto:privacy@example.com">privacy@example.com</a>.

Consent Logging

Every consent action is recorded with a timestamp, the visitor's anonymized IP address, the exact consent text shown, and the consent version number. This log serves as proof of consent for regulatory audits. View consent records at Helpon → Contacts → [Contact] → Consent History.

Withdraw Consent Flow

Visitors can withdraw consent at any time using the privacy menu in the chat widget footer (accessible via the shield icon). When consent is withdrawn:

• The active conversation is immediately closed
• No further data is collected from that visitor
• A data deletion request is optionally triggered (configurable)
• The withdrawal is logged with a timestamp for audit purposes

Cookie Banner Integration

If you use a third-party cookie consent banner, Helpon can defer chat widget loading until the visitor accepts the relevant cookie category. Supported integrations:

• CookieYes
• Complianz
• GDPR Cookie Consent by WebToffee
• Cookie Notice by Flavors
• Custom integration via JavaScript hook

// Delay Helpon chat widget until custom cookie consent is granted
window.helponConfig = {
    waitForConsent: true,
    consentCallback: function() {
        // Return true when the visitor has accepted functional cookies
        return window.myCookieBanner &&
               window.myCookieBanner.hasConsent('functional');
    }
};

Medical Disclaimers

For healthcare organizations, displaying medical disclaimers is essential to clarify that AI-generated responses are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Helpon provides built-in disclaimer templates and flexible display rules.

Disclaimer Templates

Helpon ships with three pre-built disclaimer templates. Select one from Security & Privacy → Medical Disclaimers → Template:

• General Healthcare — Suitable for clinics, hospitals, and general practitioners
• Dental Practice — Tailored for dental offices with treatment-specific language
• Mental Health — Includes crisis resource links and emergency contact information

Auto-Display Rules

Configure when disclaimers appear automatically:

• On chat open — Disclaimer displays immediately when the widget is opened
• Before first AI response — Shown once before the AI sends its first reply
• On keyword trigger — Displays when the visitor's message contains medical keywords (e.g., "diagnosis", "treatment", "prescription", "symptoms")
• Periodic reminder — Re-displays every N messages (configurable)

Disclaimer Positioning

Choose where the disclaimer appears within the chat widget:

Positioning options:

• Chat Header — Fixed banner at the top of the chat window (shown in the mockup above)
• Chat Footer — Persistent text below the message input area
• Inline Message — Displayed as a system message within the conversation flow
• Modal Overlay — Full-screen overlay that the visitor must acknowledge before chatting

Custom Disclaimer Text

Override any template with your own custom disclaimer text. HTML is supported for links and formatting. Navigate to Security & Privacy → Medical Disclaimers → Custom Text.

Regulatory Compliance Notes

When configuring disclaimers, keep the following regulatory considerations in mind:

• The FTC requires clear disclosure when consumers interact with AI rather than a human
• Many states have telemedicine laws that apply to AI-assisted health interactions
• The EU AI Act classifies healthcare AI as high-risk and requires additional transparency
• Always include a link to your full terms of service and privacy policy in the disclaimer

Data Export & Deletion

Under GDPR and similar regulations, data subjects have the right to receive a copy of their data and request its deletion. Helpon provides admin tools and automated workflows to handle these requests.

Export Visitor Data

Delete Visitor Data

Bulk Deletion

For large-scale data cleanup, use Security & Privacy → Data Export & Deletion → Bulk Operations. You can select multiple contacts or filter by criteria (e.g., all contacts inactive for 12+ months) and delete them in a single batch. Bulk deletions are processed in the background via WP-Cron and you receive an email notification when complete.

Automated Deletion

Combine data retention rules (configured in the Data Retention section) with auto-deletion to handle erasure at scale. When a retention period expires and auto-deletion is enabled, the data is permanently removed without manual intervention.

Audit Logs

Helpon records all significant actions taken by administrators, agents, and the system itself. The audit log provides a tamper-resistant record for compliance audits, incident investigations, and operational oversight.

What Gets Logged

Log Retention

Audit log retention is configured separately from data retention. The default is 24 months and can be extended up to 60 months. Audit logs are stored in a dedicated database table (wp_helpon_audit_log) and are never affected by conversation or contact auto-deletion.

Log Export

Export audit logs in CSV or JSON format from Security & Privacy → Audit Logs → Export. Filter by date range, category, user, or severity level before exporting. Exported logs include a SHA-256 checksum for integrity verification.

Searchable Log Viewer

The built-in log viewer at Helpon → Settings → Security & Privacy → Audit Logs provides real-time search with the following filters:

• Date range — Filter to a specific time period
• Category — Admin, Agent, Data, Security, or System events
• User — Filter by specific admin or agent username
• Severity — Info, Warning, Error, or Critical
• Keyword — Free-text search across event descriptions

Access Control

Helpon integrates with WordPress's built-in role system and extends it with custom capabilities. This allows you to control exactly which users can access specific Helpon features and settings.

WordPress Role-Based Access

The following table shows the default permissions assigned to each WordPress role:

Custom Capabilities

You can override the default role mappings by adding custom capabilities. Navigate to Security & Privacy → Access Control → Custom Capabilities. Helpon registers the following WordPress capabilities that can be assigned to any role:

• helpon_manage_settings — Access all Helpon settings panels
• helpon_manage_security — Access security and privacy settings
• helpon_view_audit_log — View the audit log
• helpon_manage_contacts — Full CRUD access to CRM contacts
• helpon_export_data — Export visitor and conversation data
• helpon_delete_data — Delete visitor data (GDPR requests)
• helpon_manage_agents — Add, edit, and remove chat agents
• helpon_manage_flows — Create and edit conversation flows

Restrict Settings by Role

Use the Role Restriction Matrix to fine-tune access for each role. This is especially useful for multi-location clinics where office managers need CRM access but should not modify AI or security settings.

Two-Factor Authentication Recommendation

Troubleshooting

Common security and privacy issues and their solutions:

Consent Not Recording

• Verify that GDPR Mode is enabled in Security & Privacy → GDPR Compliance
• Check that the pre-chat consent checkbox is toggled on in Consent Management
• Clear your caching plugin and CDN cache — stale widget HTML may not include the consent checkbox
• Inspect the browser console for JavaScript errors that may prevent the consent event from firing
• If using a cookie consent plugin, ensure Helpon's category (usually "Functional" or "Necessary") is not blocked

Data Not Deleting

• Confirm auto-deletion is enabled and the schedule is set in Data Retention → Auto-Deletion
• Check that WP-Cron is running properly. Some hosting environments disable WP-Cron. If so, set up a real cron job:
  Crontab Copy

  */15 * * * * wget -q -O - https://yoursite.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

• Verify the data is not protected by a retention exception (starred, active contact, or legal hold)
• Check the audit log for deletion errors — database permission issues can prevent deletion

Encryption Errors

• Run the Encryption Health Check from Security & Privacy → Encryption
• Ensure the PHP openssl extension is installed and enabled on your server
• Verify that AUTH_KEY and SECURE_AUTH_SALT are defined in wp-config.php and have not been changed since Helpon was activated
• If salts were changed, use Encryption → Re-encrypt Data to re-encrypt all stored data with the new salts
• Check that the database user has ALTER and UPDATE privileges on Helpon tables

Audit Log Gaps

• Audit log entries depend on WP-Cron for batch writes. Ensure cron is functioning (see above)
• If you recently updated Helpon, check that the wp_helpon_audit_log table was migrated successfully. Run Helpon → Settings → Tools → Repair Database
• High-traffic sites may experience write delays. Increase the Log Write Interval from the default 60 seconds to a lower value if needed
• Verify that no other plugin is truncating or cleaning the Helpon audit log table