9ine | CIS Affiliated Consultant for Data Protection & Cyber Security

What does 9ine's affiliation with CIS mean for international schools?

9ine are proud to partner with the Council of International Schools (CIS) to provide expertise related to data protection and cyber security to the CIS membership community.

Quotation Marks Changes to global data protection law have placed obligations on schools to improve how personal data and information is collected, stored, shared and secured. Through the inclusion of new data protection standards within our protocol, all CIS schools, no matter their location, will be asked to demonstrate evolving practice in the management of personal data and information.

In partnership with 9ine through the CIS affiliated consultant programme, resources to develop leading practice will support CIS-Accredited schools and help them to evidence their accountability and alignment with our newly-revised standards. - Jane Larsson, Executive Director, CIS

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9ine's self-assessment is a useful resource that puts both the requirements for best practice data protection and CIS accreditation into actions, providing insight towards other critical areas / departments where data protection has an impact and a mechanism to get the IT department and child protection department working together.

How does 9ine's self-assessment tool support CIS member schools on their pathway to accreditation?

In linking together the CIS International Accreditation Protocol, domains and criteria, we have created a Self-Assessment Tool for schools to use in evaluating their progress against the protocol for each of the preparatory evaluation, team evaluation and future aspiration stages.

The tool provides a standard mechanism for which team evaluators can review evidence against the protocol, therefore enabling the accreditation process to be consistent across CIS-Accredited schools.

What will my school gain from completing the CIS self-assessment?

By completing the self-assessment, you will:

Determine the steps that need to be taken to meet and exceed the accreditation standards related to data protection, cyber security and technology for managing safeguarding / child protection at each phase.

Be provided with a unique assessment framework for your school to evaluate itself against the revised protocol standards and criteria for each of the preparatory evaluation, team evaluation and future aspiration stages.
Gain access to tools and resources to aid your alignment with accreditation standards and review the latest research statistics on data protection compliance for international schools
Receive direct support from one of 9ine's consultancy team to help answer any questions or concerns.

The questions within the Self-Assessment provide a useful checklist for your GDPR group to work through and helps you understand the work that needs to be done. The Accreditation & Data Protection tab highlights the specific standards that CIS are looking at and the relevance to data protection. The Self-Assessment was not too long to complete with a manageable amount of questions. It brought to light the technical aspects of safeguarding/child protection. The evidence box is really useful for forcing you to answer accurately.

Have you heard of the CIS Data Protection & Cyber Security Special Interest Group?

Data protection law is constantly evolving to be continually relevant as technology, working practice and challenges to the privacy rights of natural persons develops over time. This means that whilst accreditation protocol covering the complex area of data protection may currently be sufficient, over time this may need to adapt and change. The CIS Special Interest Group (SIG) will be formed with two layers - a Core Group and Regional Representatives.

The Core Group will meet regularly to direct the development and delivery of resources for CIS-Accredited schools. The Regional Representatives will be regionally located and will provide in-country updates on the current concerns, needs and developments. This group will be supported by 9ine, whose in-house team will advise and guide as required. Any CIS-Accredited may apply to join the SIG. You can do so by selecting the relevant option when registering for the self-assessment.

Data protection and cyber security training for CIS-Accredited schools.

In making use of the self-assessment tool, CIS-Accredited schools will be able to keep up-to-date with practices relating to data protection, cyber security and safeguarding / child protection by accessing resources that include webinars, workshops and events which will support in achieving CIS Accreditation standards.

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Supporting Services for CIS Accreditation

DPO Essentials for CIS Schools

9ine's DPO Essentials is an annual subscription service providing training and resources to develop and advance your school’s Data Protection Office. It includes an optional module to align with the CIS International Accreditation protocol.

The service includes an advanced database for you to quickly record the data processing activities your school undertakes, then evaluate the lawful basis, risks and actions you need to take to evidence meeting accreditation standards.

DPO Essentials provides an annual service plan which includes onsite school training for new starters and board members, an annual audit and an information rights / breach management support service.

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Cyber Security and IT Management for CIS Schools

9ine's Cyber Security and IT Management service provides schools seeking to achieve CIS Accreditation in Domain B and G, with the analysis, support and auditing required for Team Evaluation.

With a range of options, including a technical assessment, through to cyber penetration testing and susceptibility testing via simulated phishing of all school users, the service provides you with the confidence to evidence CIS Accreditation.

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