A structured program to assess cyber risks for every vendor, contractor, and technology provider with access to your systems or data.
Of K-12 cyber incidents in 2025 were vendor-related
"Vendor-related incidents rose from just 4% in 2023 — a nearly 8x increase in two years."
Source: K12 SIX Annual Cybersecurity Report 2025
Student records exposed in a single vendor breach
"PowerSchool was accessed through compromised vendor credentials — affecting districts across the country."
Source: PowerSchool Breach Report 2025
Of all data breaches now involve a third party
"Verizon's 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report found third-party involvement in breaches doubled year over year."
Source: Verizon DBIR 2025
Schools and public agencies share sensitive data with dozens of vendors, software providers, and contractors. Each represents a potential entry point into your network. A breach at one vendor can compromise your entire organization — and your insurance policy may not cover the damage if due diligence wasn’t documented.
A structured program that gives your organization real visibility into the risk your vendors carry.
Every vendor, contractor, and technology provider with access to your systems or data is cataloged and assigned a risk tier based on the sensitivity of that access. High-risk vendors receive deeper scrutiny and more frequent reassessment.
Standardized security questionnaires are used to evaluate each vendor's cybersecurity practices, data handling procedures, and compliance posture. Assessment results are documented and stored for audit and insurance purposes.
Vendor contracts are reviewed to ensure appropriate data security requirements, breach notification clauses, and liability provisions are in place. Gaps are identified and remediation recommendations are provided.
We act as your independent representative, working directly with vendors to assess risk, collect evidence, and ensure timely responses to security and compliance requirements.
Cybersecurity tools are designed for your budget, your team size, and your compliance requirements.
Schools and public agencies face unique vendor relationships — student information systems, special education platforms, payroll and HR providers, and state-mandated reporting tools. The assessment framework is designed around the vendor types and data categories that matter most in the public sector.
Cyber insurers increasingly require documented vendor risk management programs. Third party risk management compliance documentation is prepared for your insurer.
Every vendor assessment is documented and stored in a format ready for state compliance reviews, board presentations, and insurance applications. No scrambling to reconstruct records when an audit arrives.
A structured process that brings order to your vendor relationships in two steps.
Every third party with access to your systems, data, or networks is identified and documented — including vendors you may have overlooked. Each is assigned a risk tier based on the sensitivity of the data they access and the criticality of the services they provide.
Security questionnaires submitted to each vendor based on their risk tier. Responses are reviewed and scored. Contracts are checked for appropriate data protection clauses. Findings are documented in a format ready for auditors and insurers.
Find out how many vendors have access to your sensitive data — and what risks they may be carrying — at no cost and with no commitment.
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Stay audit-ready with continuous compliance monitoring for FERPA, CIPA, and NIST CSF.
Evaluate your exposure to AI-related threats and build a governance roadmap.
Continuously identify security gaps across your systems before attackers can exploit them.
Everything you need to know about our Third Party Risk Management program.
Any vendor, contractor, software provider, or service organization that has access to your systems, networks, or data qualifies as a third party. This includes student information system providers, cloud storage vendors, payroll processors, state-mandated reporting platforms, and IT contractors.
Most K-12 districts work with between 50 and 200 vendors with some level of data or system access — many more than leadership realizes. The first step of the program is a vendor discovery exercise that often surfaces vendors that were not actively tracked.
Vendors who do not meet security standards are flagged with specific findings and remediation recommendations. Your organization can use those findings to require vendor improvements, renegotiate contract terms, or make an informed decision about continuing the relationship.
Vendors complete a standardized security questionnaire aligned with NIST CSF and applicable compliance frameworks. Questionnaires are tailored by risk tier — high-risk vendors complete a more detailed assessment than lower-risk providers. Results are scored, documented, and stored.
High-risk vendors (Tier 1) are reassessed annually at minimum and monitored continuously for security events. Lower-risk vendors are reassessed on a schedule appropriate to their risk level. Any vendor that experiences a public breach triggers an immediate review.
Contracts are reviewed for data security requirements, breach notification timelines, data retention and deletion provisions, liability and indemnification language, and subcontractor management clauses. Missing or weak provisions are flagged with specific recommendations.
Yes, increasingly. Insurers are adding vendor risk management to their required controls — particularly following large-scale supply chain incidents. Third party risk management compliance documentation is prepared for your insurer.
The program maps directly to NIST CSF, FERPA, HIPAA, and CIPA requirements related to vendor oversight and data protection. Audit-ready documentation is maintained for state compliance reviews and board reporting.
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