Security

How TestHike ProtectsAssessment Integrity

How TestHike protects assessment integrity and candidate data: encrypted local storage, submission checksums and device fingerprints, kiosk-style session locking, and configurable activity information.

Our approach

Enough Information to Trust a Result — Nothing More

TestHike's security model is built around one goal: give your team enough information to trust that an assessment result reflects a candidate's own work, without turning the process into unnecessary surveillance. Every control below is documented here, and most are configurable per assessment.

The controls

What Protects Every Assessment

01

Encrypted Local Storage

Assessment data saved on a candidate's machine during a session is encrypted, not stored as plain text — including while the app is working offline.

Always on
02

Submission Checksum & Device Fingerprint

Every submitted result is checksummed and tied to a device fingerprint, giving your team a verifiable trail if a result is ever disputed.

Every submission
03

Kiosk-Style Session Locking

An optional full-screen, locked assessment window restricts switching to other applications while a graded test is in progress.

Configurable
04

Configurable Activity Information

Focus changes, clipboard use, connected displays, and running processes — structured data for a reviewer, set per assessment, not a fixed default.

Per assessment
05

Enforced Execution Time Limits

Code runs inside a controlled workspace with a hard time limit on every run, so a runaway submission can't run indefinitely.

Every run
06

Encrypted Data in Transit

Data sent from the desktop app to TestHike's servers is encrypted in transit, whether syncing live or catching up after a dropped connection.

Always on
Deliberate boundaries

What TestHike Deliberately Doesn't Do

Security controls exist to protect assessment integrity, not to monitor a candidate beyond that scope. TestHike does not record continuous webcam or screen video by default, doesn't run before an assessment starts or after it ends, and doesn't access anything on a candidate's machine unrelated to the assessment session.

  • No default webcam or screen video recording
  • No monitoring outside the assessment window
  • No access to files or data unrelated to the assessment
  • Full detail available on the Privacy page
FAQ

Security Questions, Answered

Is assessment data encrypted?

Yes. Data saved locally on a candidate's machine during an assessment is encrypted, not stored as plain text. Data in transit to TestHike's servers is also encrypted.

What is submission integrity verification?

Every submitted result is checksummed and tied to a device fingerprint at the moment it's submitted. If a result is ever disputed, your team has a verifiable trail showing the submission wasn't altered after the fact.

What is kiosk-mode locking?

Kiosk-mode locking is an optional, configurable setting that runs the assessment in a full-screen window and restricts switching to other applications while a graded test is in progress.

Does TestHike record video or audio during an assessment?

No, not by default. TestHike records structured activity information — such as focus changes, clipboard use, connected displays, and running processes — rather than continuous webcam or screen recording. Each assessment's settings determine exactly what's recorded.

What happens to assessment data if a candidate loses their connection?

Progress is saved to an encrypted local database roughly every 10 seconds regardless of internet connectivity, then automatically synced to TestHike's servers once the connection returns. Nothing is lost or left unprotected in between.

Is code executed in a way that could affect a candidate's own machine?

Code runs inside a controlled workspace with enforced time limits, so a runaway or malicious submission can't run indefinitely or affect the wider system.

Who can access assessment results and activity information?

Only members of your organization with dashboard access can see results and activity information for your assessments. See the Privacy page for the full breakdown of data handling and retention.

Have a Security Review to Run Before Rollout?

We're glad to walk your security or IT team through the assessment security model in detail before you roll TestHike out.