Schools, colleges and education organizations hold sensitive information about students, families and staff. They depend on dozens of education-technology platforms, usually with a small IT team. ABISOL provides senior technology, cybersecurity and privacy leadership so learning and administration run on secure, well-governed technology, without a full-time CIO or CISO.
Large user populations, many platforms and children's information, often managed by a stretched IT team.
of Canadians were affected by the breach at education-technology vendor PowerSchool, which Ontario's privacy commissioner investigated.
Source: Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, PowerSchool investigation findings (Nov 18, 2025)From this date, Ontario school boards must prepare privacy impact assessments before collecting personal information and report certain privacy breaches.
Source: WeirFoulds LLP, "Bill 97 Explained" (MFIPPA amendments in force January 1, 2027); see also the IPC's FIPPA/MFIPPA amendments FAQRegulatory context: privacy law depends on the type of institution. In Ontario, school boards are covered by MFIPPA, and colleges and universities by FIPPA. Under 2026 amendments (Bill 97), MFIPPA institutions must, from January 1, 2027, prepare privacy impact assessments before collecting personal information, notify individuals of breaches that pose a real risk of significant harm, and report certain breaches to the IPC (see the IPC's FAQ). Independent schools generally fall under private-sector privacy law; for example, BC's PIPA applies to independent school authorities. In its November 2025 PowerSchool findings, Ontario's IPC stressed protecting students' and educators' information, including when using third-party service providers.
Capable people, fully occupied keeping classrooms and offices working.
New apps start holding student data before anyone has reviewed them.
Agreements that don't spell out the privacy and security protections your obligations require.
Technology and privacy risk surface only when something goes wrong.
Instead of a risk to students, families, staff and the institution's reputation.
ABISOL works alongside your people, MSP and vendors. We provide executive direction, governance and advocacy, and we don't replace anyone. Lead the IT team? See how we work with you.
Privacy and cyber posture, an inventory of ed-tech and vendors, and a review of contracts against your obligations.
A Fractional CIO and CISO for leadership and trustees, with a roadmap aligned to the academic year and budget cycle.
Student information, learning and admin systems working together. Registration and reporting automated, and AI adopted under clear rules.
SIS and LMS selection or migration timed to the academic calendar, vendor negotiation and implementation governance.
A privacy impact assessment process, breach response with notification steps, ed-tech approval, account lifecycle management and leadership reporting.
Technology strategy, budget, platforms and reporting, led by an experienced executive.
Learn moreA security program, risk register and reporting focused on protecting students and staff.
Learn moreA practical PIA process and breach procedures that meet your notification duties.
Learn moreAn approval process for new platforms, and the privacy and security terms to require in contracts.
Learn moreA defensible platform choice and a migration planned around the school year.
Learn moreAccounts created, changed and removed reliably for students, staff and contractors.
Learn moreClear, practical rules for staff and students, including where student data may and may not go.
Learn moreTested backups, recovery targets and plans to keep learning and administration going.
Learn moreYours to keep, whether or not you continue.
Fractional CIO, CTO & CISO · CISSP · CISM · PMP · MBA
Mohammad has worked across the public sector, healthcare, non-profits, insurance and financial services. He has built cybersecurity, data-governance and privacy-impact-assessment programs from policy through to Board reporting.
More about MohammadA focused conversation with your senior leader and your IT or operations lead, so you can decide based on facts.
Your team keeps classrooms and offices running. ABISOL provides the executive direction, privacy and cyber governance, and leadership reporting they usually don't have the time or mandate for. We work alongside them and advocate for them.
Vendors secure their platforms, but you remain accountable for the student information you share with them. That means choosing vendors carefully, putting the right privacy and security terms in contracts, and overseeing them over time. The PowerSchool breach made that very clear.
Put a privacy impact assessment process in place for new collections of personal information, make sure your breach procedures cover notifying individuals and reporting to the IPC, and review how you oversee the vendors that hold student data. We can help you prioritize and get it done.
Different laws may apply to you than to public boards, but the risks are similar: you hold sensitive information about children and families, and you rely on many vendors. We size the work to your school.
With clear, practical rules: which tools are approved, what information may never be entered, how to handle academic integrity, and who reviews new tools. We help you write and roll out that policy.
That's the gap fractional leadership is designed for: senior judgment for an agreed amount of time each month, sized to your institution.
A no-obligation conversation about where you stand and what to do first.
