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In: Rick's Notes, Security, Video

The big question on everyone’s mind after an incident or a tragedy is, will more security help? Let’s take a look at the facts. In 2018 the global physical security market was $84.1 BILLION and projected to grow, and yet there were still over 300 mass shootings in the United States. Security solutions have limitations when it comes to preventing future attacks and tragedies. A major limitation of security is in organizations and situations where you have an open environment which is the case for the majority of schools, organizations (during business hours), and communities in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security recognizedRead More →

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In: Campus Safety, Education, Prevention, Rick's Notes, Risk Management, School Safety, Security, Video

Are you tasked with keeping students safe but you don’t afford an SRO or more SROs? There’s a better solution for threat assessment teams, watch now! Looking for more information? Click here or use the form to your right to reach out and we’ll be in touch with more information! Real people connecting the dots, who could ask for more?  Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, Government, School Safety, Security

August was a good month for connecting the dots. 2018 National School Security Roundtable August started with the 2018 National School Security Roundtable in Washington, DC.  The roundtable was hosted by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Academic Engagement and was attended by around 100 pre-qualified attendees. Day 1 of the roundtable started with speakers from DHS (Mr. Frazier) and FEMA (Mr. Long) and then Mr. Ryan Petty spoke about the horrific tragedy that took place in Parkland, FL.  Mr. Petty’s daughter Alaina was one of the 17 shot and killed in the massacre. Mr. Petty shared his heartfelt thoughts as well as whatRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Connect the Dots, Education, First Preventer, Incident Reporting, indicators, Risk Management, School Safety, Security

It’s no secret Security Cameras are on almost every school and organization’s wish list, especially at budget time. In fact, billions of dollars have been invested in Security Cameras and other security products… but questions about whether Security Cameras are the best solution for preventing Active Shooters and other acts of violence are emerging. Recent media stories are questioning the law of diminishing returns and Market Analysts are commenting on how anxiety is bolstering multi-billion-dollar security industry. Jim Dearing, an economist at the market research firm HIS Markit, commented how, “The U.S. spends a lot more per capita on security than any other country,” yetRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Education, First Preventer, First Responder, indicators, Prevention, School Safety, Security

Research reveals the biggest school security and school safety failures, and their common denominators. But do you know what the research says about school safety & school security? Columbine High School (1999) Sandy Hook Elementary (2012) Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (2018) Q: What are the Common Denominators since 1999 (nearly 20 years)?  A: The Pieces of the Puzzle (concerning behaviors, suspicious activities, pre-incident indicators, warning signs, etc.) remain scattered across community members and across the social media community, which is why Prevention fails again and again. Because it is impossible to Prevent everything, School Security and Response solutions are clearly needed, but it’s also clearRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Rick's Notes, School Safety, Security, Video

In the wake of yet another tragic mass shooting at a school, it’s time to respond and ensure student safety with action. This message is for the President, the Governors, the Attorney Generals, the Department of Education, the Department of Safety, Mayors, City Managers, Superintendents, and anyone else who is in a position to take real action to promote real change and real safety by preventing these acts of evil. Apologies are not solutions. Laws are not solutions. Slogans are not solutions. Hashtags are not solutions.  Student safety MUST become a higher priority because students, parents, and schools deserve better than status quo thinking and statusRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Hackers, Human Resources, Information Security, Risk Management, Security

ONGOING PATCHING is one of the BEST ways to prevent expensive and embarrassing information security breaches. Equifax failed to PATCH a server and it led to 143 million of Americans (perhaps even you and me) having their sensitive information exposed to cybercriminals. Two top Equifax IT executives have stepped down (and were called out by name in negative headlines) because they failed to make sure the ONGOING PATCHING of their servers took place in a timely manner to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorized access to sensitive information. Equifax is just one of thousands of organizations that have failed to make sure ONGOING PATCHING is takingRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Connect the Dots, Prevention, Risk Management, Security

Disruptive and Tragic Violence incidents are on the increase. Violence is scary, stressful, ugly, concerning, sad, evil, expensive, frustrating, disruptive, and tragic. Disruptive and tragic violence threatens innocent children and adults in schools, colleges, organizations, government, and communities every day… and all over the world. Do you need more security? How much security is enough? What else can we do? The questions above are part of a special guide recently released by Awareity to help you answer these questions and others too. As pre-season football is winding down, the “real season” is about to begin and to have a successful season football teams are practicingRead More →