Keeping you safe in the cloud
The cloud has been proven to be a reliable and secure choice for even the largest organisations, and is fast becoming the most trusted data solution.
We take data security very seriously, and you can be reassured that we have taken all the necessary steps to protect your data and maintain our cloud security.
Below, we've included some frequently asked questions to share more detail about how we keep your data safe.
How safe is my data in NBS Chorus?
We test our platform against the Google VSAQ (Vendor Security Assessment Questionnaire) – the process that Google uses to assess vendor security to ensure the highest levels of compliance.
VSAQ is a collection of adaptable questionnaires for evaluating a given vendor’s security and privacy posture. Whilst we do not publicly publish the results of this questionnaire, we can make this information available upon request. For further details on VSAQ, click here.
Where is my data stored?
Data is stored in secure data centres in London operated by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
What is the cloud?
The cloud is a network of remote servers hosted on the internet and used to store, manage and process data in place of local servers or personal computers.
How is the cloud protected?
Chorus runs with AWS’ state of the art infrastructure, and makes use of its comprehensive security features to enforce rigorous access control and defend against threats such as DDoS attacks. Our policy is to keep data encrypted in transit and at rest, wherever possible, to eliminate the possibility of any unauthorised access.
Who owns the data?
NBS claims no ownership rights to data entered by users into NBS Chorus. All of the intellectual property rights in the NBS Chorus Service, the NBS Content and in any materials or software created or used in the provision of training are, and shall remain at all times, the sole and exclusive property of NBS or its licencors.
How is my data backed up?
Our infrastructure is designed to be extremely reliable, and makes use of the latest cloud technologies to minimise the risk of any data loss. Data is continually backed up with a restoration window target of five minutes (the maximum potential of any data loss in the unlikely event of a problem). Data and back-ups are stored on systems with a designed durability of 99.999999999%, giving robust protection from component failure leading to data loss.
Do you have Cyber Essentials accreditation?
Yes, NBS has achieved Cyber Essentials accreditation. This is a UK government certification scheme with standards designed to protect businesses from cyber-attacks. Following the standards of this certification means that NBS is practising preventative cyber hygiene like having firewalls enabled and using multi-factor authentication.
What are the system requirements?
Use Google Chrome for the best experience with NBS Chorus.
Chorus works best in web browsers that have modern javascript engines. Internet Explorer 11 runs Chorus the slowest and it is not recommended.
Compatible Browsers:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 - not recommended
- Microsoft Edge
- Apple Safari
Always ensure you have the latest, vendor supported version of these browsers installed.
Other requirements:
- An internet connection.
- JavaScript enabled.
Irrespective of your browser choice, you must have JavaScript and Cookies enabled in your browser for the website to function correctly. Please read your browser’s help instructions for details on how to enable these settings if they are switched off.
Export to Microsoft Word - NBS Chorus can export specifications to Microsoft Word. A licenced version of Microsoft Word (Windows or macOS) is required to open these documents.
What information does NBS share with third parties?
Within NBS Chorus we do not share any project-specific data with any third parties. We do report to manufacturers which of their products have been added to projects, but this data is aggregated and anonymised first. So, for example, a manufacturer might be told that their product had been used in 140 projects over the course of a year but would not be told which projects, or which practices were responsible for them.
In the future we may share data at a more granular level, but not until we have developed privacy settings which would allow customers the ability to control such sharing. This work is planned in for Q2 delivery. As with all of our developments, we’ll develop this listening to customer feedback so that the confidentiality requirements of specifiers working for clients such as MofD and MofJ can be met. We would be grateful for further feedback from our customers on this topic.
