The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) K-12 Community Vendor Assessment Tool (CVAT) is a questionnaire framework designed specifically for K-12 schools, districts, and education service districts to measure vendor risk. The CVAT is based on the Educause Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool—Lite (HECVAT-Lite), but the questions have been tailored specifically to the needs of K-12 education.

The CVAT covers a wide range of topics, including:

Vendor security policies and procedures
Data privacy and security practices
Incident response and reporting
Vendor financial stability
Vendor compliance with applicable laws and regulations

The CVAT is a valuable tool for K-12 organizations to use when assessing the risk of third-party vendors. By completing the CVAT, vendors can demonstrate their commitment to security and privacy, and K-12 organizations can make informed decisions about which vendors to work with.

The CVAT offers a number of benefits for K-12 organizations, including:

Helps to identify and mitigate vendor risks
Provides a consistent framework for vendor assessment
Can be used to streamline the procurement process
Helps to protect student data and privacy

The CVAT is a self-assessment tool that can be completed by vendors. The tool consists of a series of questions that address vendor security policies and procedures, data privacy and security practices, incident response and reporting, vendor financial stability, and vendor compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

To learn more about this new standard, please visit: https://www.cosn.org/. Our customers can find the new assessment questionnaire based on this standard in the Questionnaire Standard Library.

If you're new to Whistic and interested in learning more about how we're helping educational institutions assess vendors in a safe, fast, and consistent way, reach out to schedule a brief consultation today.