Neal Richardson, the director of technology with the Hillsboro-Deering School District, was awarded a SANs Difference Maker Award for successfully implementing the CIS Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1) across his school’s network and bringing the school district into compliance with New Hampshire’s student privacy law on Dec. 16 in Washington, D.C.
The CIS Controls are a prioritized set of policy level controls that set a secure foundation for organizations around the world to increase their cyber defenses that are available for free download from the nonprofit Center for Internet Security. Developed by leading cybersecurity experts, the CIS Controls distill common security practices into a scalable, actionable list to provide real security for real threats.
The CIS Controls Implementation Group 1, refers to Basic Cybersecurity Defense Hygiene. Implementing them provides effective security value with technology and processes that are generally already available, while providing a basis for more tailored and sophisticated action if that is warranted. Richardson’s implementation of the CIS Controls in his school district reflect not only his dedication and professionalism, but also the use of the latest methods to help keep students’ and administrators personal data safe from cyber-attacks.