Tip of the Month 2025 - September - Data Security

Tip of the Month 2025 - September - Data Security

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🛡️ Your Data Security at Parenta: A Handy Guide

We know how important it is to keep your information safe - especially when it comes to children’s data.
With recent news about cyber incidents in our industry, we wanted to share exactly how we protect your data and why you can feel confident using our nursery management software.


🌐 Where We Host Your Data

  • Hosted on AWS (Amazon Web Services)
    All of our systems run on AWS Cloud Hosting, one of the world’s most secure and trusted platforms.

  • Security-First Development
    We build our software with security in mind at every stage—it's not an afterthought.


💾 How We Store and Back Up Data

  • Storage Location: Your data lives safely in Amazon’s UK and Ireland data centres.

  • Real-Time Replication: Data is copied to a secondary server in real time, so there’s always a live backup.

  • Regular Backups:

    • Hourly backups (kept for 24 hours)

    • Daily backups (kept for 14 days)

    • Weekly backups (kept for 5 weeks)

This layered approach means your information is protected even if the unexpected happens.


🔒 Encryption: Keeping Your Data Locked Tight

  • At Rest: All stored data is encrypted using AES-256, a gold-standard encryption method used by banks and governments.

  • In Transit: Data moving between you and our servers is also encrypted, so nothing can be intercepted.

  • Key Management: Encryption keys are securely managed by AWS.


👤 Access and Permissions

  • Secure Logins: Users sign in with email and password.

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): We support MFA for extra protection.

  • Custom Permissions: Access can be tailored so staff only see the data they need.


📊 Monitoring and Auditing

  • System Logging: All key actions are tracked and stored securely in AWS.

  • Access to Logs: Our support team can retrieve activity data if you request it.

  • Retention: Logs are stored safely for auditing and security checks.


✅ Certifications

We’re accredited by Cyber Essentials, a UK government-backed scheme that verifies our security measures meet strict standards.


🗂️ Data Retention and Processing

  • Deletion Requests: When you ask us to delete data, we retain it securely for 12 months before permanent removal (to cover any legal or operational requirements).

  • No International Transfers: All processing stays within the UK and Ireland.


🤝 Trusted Third-Party Services

To give you the best experience, we work with a small group of trusted providers such as:

  • AWS – Hosting, email processing, file storage

  • Zoho & Zendesk – Customer support

  • Atlassian – Project management

  • Mailgun – Email delivery

  • One Signal & Rackspace – Notifications and file storage

Each partner is carefully vetted to meet strict security standards.


💡 Our Promise

Data security is not a one-time task—it’s an ongoing commitment.
We constantly review, monitor, and update our practices to stay ahead of threats, so you can focus on running your nursery with confidence.


Want to send your parents something to help put their mind at ease? We have created the above as a word document that you can download and send to them! Find it attached to the bottom of this tip!

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Two Factor Authentication 

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your login by requiring a 6-digit code from an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator) in addition to your password.

How to set it up:

  1. Open Your Profile – In the Portal, click your user profile and select “Two-factor”.

    Tip: If you don’t log in with an email address, you’ll first be prompted to upgrade your login to an email-based one.

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  2. Configure 2FA – Click “Configure” on the pop-up and follow the on-screen instructions.

  3. Enter Your Code – Use your authenticator app to scan the QR code, then type in the 6-digit code provided.

  4. Enable 2FA – Click “Enable two-factor”. From now on, you’ll use the app’s 6-digit code each time you log in.


📱 Sharing Devices

If you share a tablet or other device with colleagues, each user must set up their own 2FA within the authenticator app.
The 6-digit code is unique to the person who scanned the QR code during setup.


That’s it! Your account now has an extra layer of protection to keep your data safe.


For a full guide on setting up 2FA - click here!
To read our 2FA FAQ's - click here!

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Thank you for reading this months tip! If you found it helpful, please let us know by giving it a thumbs up below!

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