The Academy x Sythe Labs.
We ran a penetration test for The Academy. Their IT team rode along and watched parts of it live, and we left them with a roadmap of what to harden next.
Who The Academy is.
The Academy of Charter Schools is a K-12 public charter school in Westminster, Colorado, serving about 2,000 students across two campuses. Its focus is a comprehensive education that gives a diverse student body the skills, knowledge, and character to succeed.
For the families, staff, and district partners who trust The Academy, protecting that data is part of the relationship.
Why The Academy came to us.
The Academy had put real time and resources into securing their systems, and they wanted to test that work rather than assume it was enough. It was their own call, not something a funder or a district required.
In their words, they wanted to "validate our infrastructure and truly see how our security merit held up against real-world scenarios."
They did not weigh other options. They came to us because of an existing mentor relationship and the trust they already had with our team.
What we did.
We ran a penetration test on the systems The Academy authorized.
We ran part of it as a live ride-along. Their IT team watched us work in real time, and they called that the highlight of the engagement.
When we were done, we gave them a roadmap: a clearer picture of the specific actions to harden their systems further, on top of the work they had already done.
We kept it straightforward and free of judgment the whole way through. For their team, a technical test turned into something they could learn from.
What they walked away with.
The Academy came away with a clearer picture and a plan they can use.
- -A penetration test of their systems, part of it run live with their team watching.
- -A roadmap of the specific actions to harden their systems further.
- -Validation that the measures they already had in place were the right ones.
- -A test their team could learn from, not just a report to file.
- -An answer they can give the families, funders, and district partners who trust them with their data.
What it was like to work with us.
A major highlight for our IT team was the 'ride-along' experience, where the Sythe Labs team performed parts of the test live right in front of us. It was a thrilling and incredibly educational experience.IT Manager - The Academy of Charter Schools
Sythe Labs paired profound technical knowledge with a level of professionalism that made us feel supported every step of the way.IT Manager - The Academy of Charter Schools
We walked away with both validation and a roadmap, a much clearer picture of the specific actions we can take to further harden our systems. They understand the unique environment of a school and turn a technical audit into a powerful learning experience.IT Manager - The Academy of Charter Schools
"Working with Sythe Labs was a seamless, judgment-free partnership that turned a complex security audit into an invaluable learning experience for our team."IT Manager - The Academy of Charter Schools
Your security team, on-demand.
Penetration testing, monitoring, incident response, and compliance, owned end to end for one flat price. Like The Academy, you get a team that does the work, walks you through it, and leaves you with a roadmap you can act on.