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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Information Privacy, Information Security, Risk Management

  In my 30+ years of performing risk, vulnerability and threat assessments, I have always advised my clients to be really careful with whom they hire to for “maintenance and cleaning crews”.  This news about the Target data breach validates my advice.   According to news reports, the hackers that pulled off one of the largest and most expensive data breaches ever, did so by stealing/hacking credentials from Target’s HVAC subcontractor.  Once the hackers had the HVAC subcontractor credentials, they had access to Target’s network and were able to place their sophisticated malware…and you know the rest of the story.   This ‘Connecting the Dots’Read More →

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In: Uncategorized

Homer Community School is preparing to make a difference for their students and community This small Nebraska school district is leading the way for rural schools by launching TIPS, a web‐based incident management and prevention platform from Awareity, Inc. No matter how big or how small, all schools face the same challenges (student safety, bullying, student achievement, legal, compliance, accreditations, etc.), mounting obligations and budget limitations. The key to effectively and proactively handling the constantly changing needs of students is to equip everyone with the right tools to do the right things. Awareity’s TIPS is a secure and central risk management/prevention platform equipping all individualsRead More →

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In: Research

To take advantage of the free student survey at your school, click here. How are you assessing the well-being of your students? Did you know over 80% of bystanders know about bullying, but only 10% report it. Are your students witnessing threatening behaviors within your walls? Do they feel comfortable talking to teachers or your administration? What if even a small percentage of those 80% could become empowered and start helping the at-risk students at your school? As parents and community members continue to express concerns about school safety, Awareity is helping our clients provide free school climate surveys to gather feedback from students, parents,Read More →

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In: Success

As tragic stories of bullying, suicide and violence continue to circulate throughout our nation’s school systems, Logan‐ Rogersville Public Schools in Missouri is taking action. Officer Mark Hall, Director of Safety & Security with the Logan‐Rogersville School Police, worked diligently over the last year to research incident reporting and risk management systems. He applied for and won grant funding to implement the award-winning TIPS platform in the Logan‐Rogersville School District. Students are often hesitant to talk to their parents or the school SRO because they don’t want to get someone in trouble or involve themselves in a situation. TIPS allows these students to come forwardRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  A friend of mine recently shared this link to an anonymous note with me: I wonder how many other teachers feel like this?   I wonder how many teachers go home at the end of the day drained from dealing with bullying directed at them?   I wonder how many students go home drained at the end of the day drained from dealing with bullying?   In talking to my friends who are teachers, they are getting tired of dealing with bullying related problems in their classroom because it takes time from their teaching and because it has a negative effect on every student’sRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Education, School Safety, Uncategorized

  Bullying has been going on since people set foot on this planet and people have been writing about bullying all the way back to Cain and Abel.  So why does bullying still exist and continue to escalate? Why has bullying escalated to a level that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] declared bullying a “significant health problem”? Bullying exists and bullies exist in nearly every school, nearly every college and nearly every organization.  Evidence is overwhelming and it is time to accept the facts and admit status quo bullying approaches are not working, are not solving and are not preventing bullying. WhyRead More →

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In: Success

Lipscomb University has launched a new anonymous reporting and prevention platform called TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services), allowing students, faculty, staff and others from the campus community to confidentially report potentially harmful incidents or concerning behaviors. A private, Christian college in Nashville, TN, Lipscomb University, is dedicated to providing a safe and secure learning environment and protecting all students, faculty, staff and guests on campus. TIPS is an award‐winning suite of web‐based tools developed by the privately held organization Awareity, empowering individuals to anonymously report suspicious activities involving assault, weapons, illegal drug/alcohol use, harassment or intimidation, hazing, vandalism, threats of violence, suicideRead More →

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In: Uncategorized

As tragic stories of bullying, suicide and violence continue to spread through school systems and communities, Ankeny Community School District is focusing on solutions. Ankeny Community Schools will be the first Iowa school district to implement Awareity’s proven and multi‐award‐winning TIPS (Threat assessment, Incident management & Prevention Services) prevention platform to help broaden communication channels, raise awareness and improve student safety. TIPS is an innovative solution equipping students, teachers, staff, parents and community members to anonymously report concerning behaviors, bullying, cyber bullying, and suicide risks. How can a school prevent something if they don’t know about it? Evidence clearly reveals school officials need students, parents,Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  Have we reached a tipping point…the point at which a series of incidents becomes significant and obvious enough to cause a larger, more important change? Is this a national teachable moment…the time at which learning about a particular topic becomes obvious and easiest? Call it what you want, but obviously now is the time for action to change the future for the better. So how do you and I change the future for the better? Lots and lots and lots of people SAY they want to change the future and many more will SAY they are a leader of positive change…however after years ofRead More →

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In: Uncategorized

The Bradley County Schools system has implemented a new program to help keep children safe. TIPS: Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services, an award‐winning web‐based risk management and incident reporting platform from Awareity. The TIPS platform is successfully being used in multiple school districts across the United States to identify, prevent and effectively intervene in threatening behaviors. TIPS provides an avenue for all students, parents, faculty, staff and community members to safely report disconcerting behaviors, suspicious incidents, or general safety/security concerns to school staff and the school resource officer, or SRO. Reporting may be made anonymously or openly. Concerns which may be reported include,Read More →