Ascham School Case Study
Industry: Education
Ascham School implemented MyCISO Assess to overcome the complexity of managing cybersecurity internally, enabling a multi-year NIST CSF-aligned security program with real-time board reporting.
Challenge
Ascham faced several interconnected challenges. The sensitive nature of its Crown Jewels, including extensive student data, demanded strong protection. However, the school's small IT team had limited resources to manage cybersecurity alongside their other obligations.
- No structured mechanism to identify security gaps or design a dynamic risk reduction strategy
- Budget constraints made it impractical to retain expensive external consultants for ongoing assessments and reporting
- The board and capital committee required regular, clear updates on cyber posture that the team could not easily produce
Solution
By implementing MyCISO Assess, Ascham was able to overcome a challenge that had previously been too complex for their team to manage internally. The platform's simplicity in both management and reporting made the process accessible and manageable.
- Developed and executed a multi-year security improvement strategy aligned to NIST CSF 1.1
- Single console for generating quarterly reporting to the board and capital committee
- Internal management without heavy reliance on external consultants
Outcome
MyCISO gave Ascham a clear and simplified approach to security GRC that was far more economically viable than engaging consultants. The platform created a consistent security operating model for IT, the board, and external stakeholders.
- Access to a single console to generate quarterly reporting across multiple control frameworks
- Identified key risks and generated a dynamic strategy for implementation
- Funds previously earmarked for external assessments can now be allocated to critical areas of security uplift
The benefits of the MyCISO platform were evident immediately. We now have a robust multi-year security program uplifting against the NIST CSF 1.1 - something which most schools would struggle to undertake without an expensive external team managing this for them.
Georgina Liberale, Director of ICT, Ascham School