TorchLight Approved as a Cybersecurity Vendor Across the California and Washington Education Markets

Secured security, compliance monitoring, penetration testing, and virtual CISO services are now available through the Foundation for California Community Colleges and Washington Learning Source’s joint purchasing programs.

Liberty Lake, WA, March 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TorchLight, a provider of cybersecurity services, today announced its approval as an authorized vendor through two major cooperative purchasing programs serving educational institutions and public organizations in California and Washington State.

TorchLight is licensed through the Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) Enterprise and Procurement Services programs, which include CollegeBuys, SchoolBuys, AICCUBuys, and CivicBuys, providing access to all 75 California community college districts, K-12 school districts, private colleges and universities, and state towns. Separately, TorchLight was provided Contract WLS343 through Washington Learning Source (WLS)is a federal procurement program administered by the Puget Sound Educational Service District for Washington State K-12 schools and public institutions.

Together, these contract awards put TorchLight’s cybersecurity services in front of more than 400 educational and public institutions in both states, providing a streamlined, competitive procurement process for schools, colleges, and organizations seeking enterprise-grade security without the burden of independent applications.

Foundation for California Community Colleges: Four Programs, Statewide Reach

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the statutory charity that supports the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Its Enterprise and Procurement Services (EPS) division has served as a trusted partner in the procurement space since 1999, using collective purchasing power to secure consistent contracts that provide discounted products and services across the educational and public sectors.

TorchLight’s cybersecurity services are now available through all four EPS purchasing programs:

• CollegeBuys is the systemwide procurement hub for California Community Colleges, serving all 73 community college districts and extending to all private and public colleges in California and across the country. CollegeBuys updates the California Public Contract Code to align federal contracts that reduce risk, achieve cost savings, and maximize resources for the nation’s largest public higher education community.

• SchoolBuys a procurement program aimed at purchasing the needs of K-12 institutions throughout California, giving school districts the opportunity to competitively bid for contracts for technology, security, and other operational services.

• AICUBuys a joint program developed in partnership between FoundationCCC and the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU), serving the purchasing needs of AICCU members throughout the state.

• History of CivicBuys focused on meeting the purchasing needs of municipalities and local and state government agencies throughout California.

Through these programs, California agencies can refer to an existing contract to integrate TorchLight’s direct security monitoring, compliance support, security audits, and intelligence advice without having to do local bidding.

Washington Learning Source: Serving Washington K-12 and Public Agencies

Washington Learning Source is a federal purchasing program managed by Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) in Renton, Washington. WLS serves all nine Education Districts in Washington State, awarding competitive contracts to K-12 schools, school districts, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington state agencies through federal government procurement contracts under RCW 39.34.

TorchLight was awarded Contract WLS343 through RFP 1818-62 (Cybersecurity Solutions)one of WLS’s dedicated cybersecurity purchasing units. Under this contract, Washington K-12 districts and eligible state agencies can purchase TorchLight’s full security services portfolio at pre-negotiated prices and terms and conditions. The purchasing relationship is direct between the institution and TorchLight, and institutions do not need to register, join, or pay a fee to participate.

Why These Benefits Are Important to Education

Educational institutions face a unique mix of cybersecurity challenges. They handle large volumes of confidential data, including student records protected under FERPA and financial aid information that complies with the FTC Safeguards Rule and GLBA, while working with tight IT budgets and technical support teams. Ransomware attacks targeting schools and colleges have increased dramatically in recent years, making cybersecurity a board-level priority for organizations of all sizes.

Institutions of higher education that participate in federal Title IV financial aid programs are classified as financial institutions under the GLBA and must maintain information security practices that meet the FTC Safeguards Rule requirements. These compliance obligations create the need for specialized security services that understand both the regulatory framework and the actual operation of educational facilities.

Corporate purchasing programs address one of the most persistent challenges: procurement complexity. By offering pre-vetted, competitive bids for contracts, these programs allow campuses and districts to move quickly when security arises rather than spending months soliciting independently.

Services Available Through These Programs

Managed Security Services

24/7/365 Security Operations Center (SOC) provides continuous monitoring and threat response for all endpoints, networks, cloud environments, and email systems. Services include Managed Detection and Response (MDR), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), and phishing prevention.

GLBA Audit and Compliance Services

Detailed analysis and analysis services comply with the FTC Safeguards Rule under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. TorchLight provides security program audits, gap analysis, compliance documentation, and system audit support to organizations subject to the requirements of the GLBA.

Penetration Testing and Security Assessments

Independent security validation includes internal and external penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, ransomware readiness gap analysis, and application security testing. These audits provide organizations with objective evidence of their security for board statements, insurance policies, and regulatory compliance.

Virtual CISO Advisory

Executive-level cybersecurity strategy and risk management guidance for organizations that need senior leadership without the cost of a full-time salary. Services include security program maintenance, incident response planning, board and leadership communications, and technical strategy implementation.

K-12 Direct Skills

TorchLight provides services to the K-12 community through both the California SchoolBuys program and the Washington Learning Source contract. This includes end-to-end security for Windows, macOS, and ChromeOS devices, network and cloud security for campus and district infrastructure, security training for faculty and staff, and data protection and recovery solutions designed around student records and instructional systems. All K-12 services comply with FERPA and COPPA requirements.

Procurement Advantages

Both the S FoundationCCC and WLS programs offer significant purchasing benefits to participating organizations:

• Competitive bidding contracts satisfy the public’s needs, eliminating the need for independent bidding.

• Standardized prices, rules, and regulations for all participating organizations

• There are no registration fees or membership fees for organizations to obtain contracts

• A direct purchasing relationship between the organization and TorchLight

• Ability to add organization-specific terms to purchase orders at scale

• Compliance with the California Public Contract Code (FoundationCCC programs) and Washington RCW 39.34 interlocal purchasing agreements (WLS)

• FoundationCCC support with contract issues, project-level concerns, and coordinating leads

Leadership Commentary

“Educational institutions manage some of the most sensitive data in any sector, from student records to financial aid information, and they need to achieve the same caliber of cybersecurity that protects financial institutions,” he said. Nolan Garrett, CEO of TorchLight. “These contract awards across the Foundation for California Community Colleges and Washington Learning Source remove barriers to procurement so that colleges, school districts, and government agencies can go from identifying a security gap to closing it in weeks, not months. That speed is critical when threats are happening every day.”

About TorchLight

TorchLight is a managed cybersecurity services provider headquartered in Liberty Lake, Washington. The company provides 24/7/365 operational security, compliance and assurance services, penetration testing, and specialized CISO consulting to organizations in regulated and critical industries, including financial services, healthcare, education, and professional services. With nearly two decades of experience protecting private data and supporting compliance, TorchLight provides enterprise-grade security without the complexity of business. Learn more at torchlight.io.

About the Foundation for California Community Colleges

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the statutory charity that supports the Office of the Chancellor and California Community Colleges. Its Business and Procurement Services division has been a trusted partner in the procurement space since 1999, using the purchasing power of schools, cities, and towns to secure deals that provide discounts on a variety of products and services. EPS operates four programs: CollegeBuys (community colleges), SchoolBuys (K-12), AICCUBuys (private colleges and universities), and CivicBuys (towns and government agencies). Learn more at purchasing.collegebuys.org.

About Washington Learning Source

Washington Learning Source is a cooperative purchasing program managed by the Puget Sound Educational Service District. WLS offers competitive contracts to K-12 schools, school districts, and Washington State government agencies, enabling applicants to obtain evaluated solutions at volume rates and fixed terms. Learn more at walearningsource.org.

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