Our Rainwater Achieves Cyber Essentials Certification
We're pleased to share that Our Rainwater has achieved Cyber Essentials certification, a UK Government-backed scheme developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), that demonstrates we have the essential technical controls in place to protect our systems, our data, and the people we work with.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed certification scheme designed to help UK organisations protect themselves against the most common internet-based cyber threats. Developed by the NCSC, the UK's national technical authority for cyber security, it is built around five core technical controls that, when properly implemented, significantly reduce the risk of a cyber-attack:
🔒 Firewalls: protecting our network from unauthorised access
⚙️ Secure configuration: ensuring our systems and software are set up securely
👤 Access control: making sure only the right people can access the right data
🛡️ Malware protection: defending against viruses and malicious software
🔄 Patch management: keeping all software and devices up to date
Why Does This Matter for Our Rainwater?
At Our Rainwater, we work closely with local authorities, water companies, and communities to deliver rainwater management programmes. In doing so, we handle data on behalf of our partners and the residents we engage with (including personal contact details, property information, and project data).
Our partners, including local councils and water companies, operate in highly regulated environments where data security is rightly taken seriously. Cyber Essentials gives them a recognised, independently verified signal that we are meeting the UK Government's baseline standard for cyber security.
In short: it means our partners can work with us with confidence, knowing that we take the security of their data as seriously as they do.
What This Means for Residents
If you have signed up for a free rainwater device through one of our projects, your personal data is held securely in line with UK GDPR and, now, the Cyber Essentials standard. We will never share your data without your consent, and we take every reasonable step to protect it from unauthorised access.
Staying Certified
Cyber Essentials certification is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually. We are committed to maintaining our certification year on year, ensuring that as our systems and projects grow, our security controls grow with them.
You can find out more about the Cyber Essentials scheme directly from the NCSC at ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessentials.
What are things like today?
Since the events in 2021, staff frequently have to use sandbags to help protect the building. As of April 2026, a new flood gate installation will help protect the library against future flooding.
