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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  We have studied hundreds and hundreds of failures, fines, lawsuits, tragedies and numerous other incidents that have occurred across multiple sectors and around the world.  In our studies, we have discovered some extraordinary details that nearly every failure, fine, lawsuit, tragedy, incident had in common: Most incidents and consequences were preventable Nearly every preventable failure, fine, lawsuit, tragedy, incident, etc. that was not prevented was due to gaps or disconnect in one or more of the following obligations:   Organizations and individuals did not do the right things and were not able to prevent expensive and embarrassing incidents because they: Lacked the Right Tools…Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Risk Management

  Everyone has seen a picture of an iceberg showing only the tip of the iceberg actually visible above water and the majority underwater.                           Prevention is sort of like an iceberg because the majority of actions that must be taken with regard to preventing incidents are not visible to most people. For example, if you work at a financial organization and you are striving to prevent fraud and the expensive consequences of fraud, or if you work for an educational institution and you are striving to prevent bullying and the expensive consequences ofRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Risk Management

  “Talking” about Doing the Right Thing is not the same as “Doing” the Right Thing. Lots of news stories, government folks, celebrities and experts talk about doing the right thing.  Lots of “talk” appears on websites and in blogs, books, programs and laws.  But “Doing the Right Thing” requires taking action and more specifically taking proactive prevention-focused actions. Facts and lessons learned clearly show us that most incidents, tragedies, suicides and headlines were preventable.  So why are people not taking proactive and preventative actions and not doing the right things? I had an idea for this blog a couple weeks ago and then IRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Incident Reporting, Legal, Risk Management

  Business Insurance reported that Penn State University’s expenses in response to the alleged child abuse by former assistant football coach Gerald Sandusky are mounting.  A Penn State statement said they are paying nearly $2.5 million for the services of two public relations firms. The communication firms aim to work with Penn State’s public information officers to provide broad and transparent communications to key stakeholders and support the university through upcoming litigation, according to the statement. “Retaining these communications firms puts us more firmly on the path toward accountability, openness and preserving our reputation as one of the world’s leading research universities,” Penn State PresidentRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Uncategorized

  Earth Day has been celebrated since 1970 and was created to broaden the support for environmental programs and community awareness to promote environmental citizenship. So in honor of Earth Day…I am offering everyone a tip that can help your organization with “going green” and “saving lots of green”. Wouldn’t be great if your organization could eliminate: Paper-based handbooks (employee, student, vendor, etc.) Paper-based manuals (policies, procedures, plans, etc.) Paper-based documentation (acknowledgements, agreements, etc.) Paper-based training Paper-based memos and alerts Paper-based updates Paper-based incident reporting Paper-based investigations Paper-based incident management Paper-based CYA   And just think about all of the labor-intensive cost savings your organizationRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Emergency Management, Incident Reporting, Risk Management, School Safety

  Did you see the recent report from the Center for American Progress?  The report estimates that the Virginia Tech tragedy cost the university and taxpayers $ 48.2 million.  And this cost does not include the “costs” associated with the loss of lives and lives that were changed forever. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and I hope all school and university administrators are paying close attention to this wisdom and this new report. According to the report, the university was responsible for most of the costs – $ 38.77 million – and the state of Virginia paid around $ 8.87Read More →

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In: Uncategorized

In an effort to keep up with information security risks and threats and improve the incident management process between the 23 Virginia Community Colleges and the system office, the Virginia Community College System has implemented TIPS, an innovative risk management software platform from Awareity. TIPS provides the Information Security Officers (ISOs) from each of the 23 colleges with a secure online incident reporting platform to report suspicious activities and incidents. ISOs will also be better prepared to share investigation details, suggested actions, next steps, guidance, etc. and follow‐up with system office personnel to determine the best overall response. TIPS empowers each organization to create customizedRead More →

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In: Uncategorized

Awareity, a leading provider of incident management and prevention software platforms, has received a 2012 Innovation Award from Business Insurance, for TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services). Traditional front‐end incident reporting solutions are clearly not delivering the results organizations need. The TIPS platform delivers an innovative and comprehensive suite of tools, equipping risk managers, threat assessment teams, risk assessment teams, legal teams, audit teams, and school safety teams to take appropriate actions, securely communicate and share information, and document all investigation and intervention efforts to prevent incidents rather than react to incidents. “Status quo approaches are expensive and they are not working. ItRead More →

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In: Success

Taking school safety to the next level, Scottsbluff Public Schools has launched an online suite of tools to empower students, teachers, staff and others in the community to confidentially or anonymously report suspicious or potentially harmful incidents. TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services), an award‐winning platform from Awareity, allows for the anonymous reporting of bullying, weapons possession, drug/alcohol use, harassment or intimidation, school vandalism, physical assault, threats of violence, suicide risk, abuse or neglect and other incidents. Scottsbluff Public Schools launched TIPS in December 2011 with a TIPS Report Incident button on the Scottsbluff Public Schools website at www.sbps.net for anyone in theRead More →

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In: Uncategorized

Awareity, a leading provider of incident management and prevention software platforms, has been recognized as a 2012 Honors Laureate by IDG’s Computerworld, for their web‐based TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services). The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change. “There’s no question technology plays a vital role in driving business forward. It ensures an organization’s ability to compete, innovate, communicate and to thrive. What the Computerworld Honors Laureates so clearly demonstrate is technology’s role in moving society forward. Computerworld acknowledges and applauds the outstanding work being done by individuals and organizations who have successfullyRead More →