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You no longer have to imagine an all-flash storage solution because today it’s a real option for enterprise data centres.

Today’s storage challenges:

• Application performance demands
• Instant response times
• Always-on Availability
• Anywhere, anytime access
• 40% enterprise data growth per year
• 60% of storage taken up by copies of data

HPE Nimble Storage All Flash Arrays provide high performance and consistent low-latency storage with advanced data reduction technology, along with rich storage management functionality for radically simple operation—even for the most demanding applications.

Learn more in this free technical whitepaper

Printers that reside on your network could be hacked

Security breaches are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous in the way hackers can now access confidential data… Did you know your printer could be an entry point to your whole network?

Multifunction Printers (MFPs) have evolved to become integral to the network, with many other functions than just printing, including copy, scan to network destinations and send email attachments, these devices come equipped with hard disk drives and often run internal web servers.

Whilst MFPs and printers have improved business productivity and many business rely on them, they pose the same security risk as any networked device if left unprotected. With data breaches rising and increasing industry and regulatory requirements around information security, businesses may suffer financial and reputational damage if they ignore the risks of unsecured printing.   

Device

Printing and imaging devices store user credentials and other sensitive data such as stored print jobs that can be accessed if it’s not encrypted or regularly erased.

Network data

Multi-function printers reside on your company network. They can also be hacked like a computer and be an entry point for malware and viruses

Access control & authentication

In the absence of a pull printing requirement, sensitive documents may be retrieved by any user. Anyone who has access to printer settings can exploit permissions if the settings aren’t restricted to admin only access.

Monitoring & management

Lack of centralised printer control can lead to inefficient, incomplete, and time-intensive efforts by IT to establish and maintain printer security settings.

Document

Output trays are an easy way for sensitive data to fall into the wrong hands. Unprotected input trays could lead to the theft of special paper–such as check stock.

Safeguarding

Many organisations still have work to do in safeguarding their print infrastructure, however by introducing secure printing controls reduces risk and can help reduce costs through user authentication, which can minimise wasteful printing and provides a method to audit user activity, this enables organisations with better control and responsibility.

Another measure to introduce increased security could to develop a print security strategy and ensure all employees are appropriately briefed and know how to use features such as PIN enabled printing so that features are used well and do not disrupt your organisation.

Are your devices fully secure?  

Do you fully understand the complexity of your print environment, the volumes you are printing, or how much it is costing you?  Our team of print professionals are on hand to discuss your exact needs and will work with you to ensure a solution is implemented which maximises productivity, whilst driving down unnecessary expenditure. Contact us now:

Call 01422 444 666
Email halifax@xma.co.uk

A smart strategy and the right investments can help organisations to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats

With health care experiencing accelerated adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), demand is skyrocketing for connected medical, operational and personal “things.” Not coincidentally, attacks on health care organisations are also rising, with numerous high-profile breaches having been reported this past year.

Although many IoT devices offer extraordinary benefits for improving patient outcomes, staff effectiveness and operational cost savings, they also bring with them new security risks. Instead of just targeting employees with sophisticated email phishing schemes, hackers now can exploit vulnerabilities in any type of connected device, right down to your light bulbs.

That’s why the latest cybersecurity best practices call for a multilayered IoT security strategy to mitigate threats and reduce risks. These seven steps can help organisations to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity game plan while ensuring that they won’t become the next headline.

Step 1. Know what’s on your network

Understand how to secure the network that supports IoT infrastructure begins with knowing what’s running on it. Assuming it’s a great network, people will want to connect devices to it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Further, it’s no longer just information technology (IT) staff who are connecting devices via wired ports or wireless systems. Practically every hospital staff member is skilled enough to connect a device. In other words, no matter how hard an IT team tries to establish guidelines and procedures, someone will always connect something unexpected.

This makes modern network access control (NAC) solutions the first line of defense, the best of which offer granular centralised, role-based management and network segmentation. Such solutions enable policies to be set regarding which devices or things can, and cannot, access a network, as well as what data or applications they can access and who has the ability to manage or maintain these devices.

Such solutions monitor connections 24/7 and automatically quarantine anything that doesn’t fit. Simultaneously, an alert about a quarantined device goes to the individual assigned.

Quickly alerting IT is a vital capability, as it ensures that a human can swiftly permit the right people to gain access in support of the primary mission: meeting patient needs. For example, an IT team can determine whether a quarantine alert is simply a biomedical technician attempting to connect a new patient device or a suspicious activity that merits further investigation.

Step 2. Know the role of each user, device and thing

Controlling IoT access to a network requires controlling both the devices and the humans who connect them. To determine what type of access to give a person or an IoT device, it’s not as important to know what each one is as it is to understand what they do. In other words, it requires understanding the business aspect of why a person or device is seeking network access.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it needs to be emphasized because a significant number of health care IT and facilities professionals are hired from outside the field. It’s important for organisations that fall under this category to work with their business counterparts to understand the role each connected user or device plays.

For example, IoT-enabled, smart hand-washing stations track clinician compliance with organizational hygiene policies. The data these stations collect is critical to tracing and mitigating infection sources before they become a hazard to patients or put an organization at risk.

On the staff safety side, an increasing number of building security systems include a smartphone-enabled duress app. This empowers clinicians to request assistance with a single touch.

Clearly, each of these IoT connection types requires the right role to ensure smooth, seamless and always-on network access.

Step 3. Infuse real-time intelligence to detect subtle changes

Security experts agree. No matter how well wired and wireless network are secured, threats eventually will find their way in. In fact, recent reports show that more than two-thirds of breaches actually involve internal actors rather than external forces.

That’s why the most advanced defenses now include sophisticated analytics and artificial intelligence (AI)-based machine learning. Such solutions spot changes in user or device behavior that often indicates that an invader has evaded perimeter defenses, whether originating from inside or out.

So, if a smart hand-washing station tries to masquerade as a duress app, an AI-infused access control solution can detect this behavior faster than humanly possible and immediately deny network access while notifying both the appropriate IT staffer and facilities manager.

An even more advanced solution provides clear, understandable feedback to anyone attempting to use the compromised statio, such as sending a text message to a station’s potential user to redirect the person to an operational unit.

Step 4. Insist that your vendors improve device security

Historically, medical and facilities device vendors have focused on engineering their products to address health care and building needs with less, or no, regard for the security implications. Consequently, most are still well below IT networking standards, such as supporting the ability to utilize and store encryption keys on the device.

This is where you, the IoT-enabled device purchaser, comes in. By insisting that vendors place networking best-practice security protocols on their development road maps prior to making the investment, it will challenge them to improve their solutions to earn more business.

In some cases, health care organisations may even be able to share with prospective vendors why they’ve selected a competing product.

The sooner users start insisting that IoT device manufacturers comply with security expectations, the faster we’ll see solutions to match.

Step 5. Change default credentials and passwords

Despite the fact that most high-profile IoT-related breaches to date have resulted from failing to change default credentials, it’s surprising how often we still encounter organisations that permit devices to connect via manufacturer-supplied user names and passwords.

Although many vendors now embed options that are more unique than classic “admin” and “password” defaults, know that all factory settings are documented — to enable users to receive help remediating a device — and, therefore, are easily found on the internet.

However, this doesn’t require creating a unique user name and password for every single infusion pump or door lock. Instead, assign need role-based credentials that follow today’s recommendations for character combinations and length. This allows one set of credentials for all infusion pumps or other medical device types.

Additionally, only employees with the correct role, based on their login credentials and the device’s role, should be permitted to access device settings, all of which are then monitored by the sophisticated access control solutions already addressed.

Step 6. Remember, cybersecurity is really about people

No matter what technologies are adopted for securing IoT, people remain the most important priority. All of the sophisticated systems in the world won’t protect a network if someone places the credentials for a device on the unit itself or hangs a list of passwords on the wall in his or her office.

Most of the time, inadequate practices result from insufficient understanding. This makes training on IoT device security policies critical, as well as requiring regular review or recertification, for all staff members across all departments. Strict enforcement of security protocols is also key.

When training, one of the most important tips to give employees is to create prompts for passwords based on something they know, but others will not, and record only the prompt where it’s accessible. For example, the prompt “fishing trip” could relate to the password “B$gH0rnMTo9^2o^16.”

Once employees have created their lists of prompts and associated passwords, make sure they lock lists containing passwords in a drawer and never, ever, discuss them — either at or outside of work. Of course, they can keep their prompt lists handy for efficiency.

Step 7: Reassess and revise

Regardless of how thorough an IT department is at creating a comprehensive IoT security strategy, it should never be considered “complete.” Instead, the most secure organisations are those that continue to evolve their practices as new tools and recommendations emerge.

This doesn’t mean becoming a cybersecurity guru. Instead, savvy professionals leverage trusted resources to learn about the latest best practices and options. Simultaneously, they regularly scan their organisations for ways to improve.

Source: Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Reducing outside of school hours

It’s now not an unfamiliar sight to see a teacher lugging boxes of books and folders between classrooms and then home again in the evening. Research from the Department for Education’s ‘Teachers Workload Survey’ has revealed that on average teachers are spending over 18 hours working outside of school hours each week.

The reality of bigger class sizes means that the workload for teachers is on the increase. As the pile of 25 text books grows to over 30 – not to mention the added time needed to plan lessons to keep larger classes engaged; the teaching targets begin to appear increasingly less achievable.

Amongst many professions balancing work and home life can be a particular struggle, but no more so than for teachers. In order to help reduce the time, outside of school hours, that teaching staff are spending on marking each week, we’ve compiled some top tips for turning the marking mountain into a molehill.

1. Review the time within your working day
   Ever get to the end of a school day and wonder where on earth the time has gone? Perhaps it’s time to start tracking and scrutinising your work days.One of the best ways to do this is to create a work-time diary. This will act as a summary of the tasks or jobs that filled your day – whether that’s an extra 10 minutes spent at the photocopier due to faulty devices, your computer just rebooting for updates or having to keep students back after class – it all adds up.Create a spreadsheet or table and include all of the tasks that you covered within school hours, as well as any work related jobs you pick up out of hours. By doing this you’re able to keep track of any tasks that are taking up too much time throughout your day, and find the areas that are taking up too much of your valuable time and troubleshoot how your time could be better spent.
2. Encourage peer-to-peer assessment
   Peer assessment is becoming more and more popular with the education sector. Not only does this method alleviate the amount of marking you’ll be taking home, it also helps students build their confidence, analytical skills and encourages engagement throughout lessons.In order to approach peer assessment in the right way, you’ll need to share your own techniques with the class as well as give them an assessment criteria to judge the work against. Ask them to try and give constructive criticism to their peers and/or assign designated ‘study-buddies’. The feedback can then either be shared back within small groups or with the wider class as a whole.
3. Listen to music
   When sitting down at home and preparing yourself for an evening of marking, it’s important that you remove any distractions. The less time spent on distractions, the quicker you will get through the pile of papers sitting in front of you.
   In fact research shows that listening to music when working is proven to increase the standard of your work and make you work faster!While the nature and style of the music can cause specific responses in the brain, some studies suggest that it really is down to personal preference. Want some inspiration? Check out this article from The Telegraph.
4. Optimise your surroundings
   Although marking from home may be inevitable, it doesn’t have to be an drawn out chore. Research into the productivity of working from home has revealed that by setting aside a separate work space in your home, you will help gain a better work-life-balance.With this said, why not have a designated and removed area in your home for marking. This could be a specific chair or even an entire room. This space should be set away from any distractions and be treated as if you would your own desk at school. Having a nominated ‘work area’ helps to separate the ever-competing worlds work and home and prevent the blurring of the two; allowing you to complete your marking quicker, in order to get back to enjoying your free time.
5. Use the right equipment
   When marking digitally, there’s nothing worse than slow technology slowing down the process. Faulty equipment can not only end up with your spending unnecessary extra hours at home attempting to mark, but also will increase frustration leading to you becoming more hostile towards the task.Research by BESA, together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed that 80% of teachers now say they need better access to IT to improve learning.Statistics like this therefore suggest that technology is an important and contributory factor in the job satisfaction and morale of teachers. If schools and other education establishments are smart, investment in IT doesn’t need to cost the big bucks and can actually start to deliver a return on investment.

Reflect and review year-on-year

Universities are under increasing pressures year-on-year to reduce their expenditure. With cuts to government funding and university applications decreasing by 6%, its’s now more important than ever that Universities reflect on their spending habits, and review areas in which costs can be saved.

However, how do Higher Education establishments ensure that cutting costs doesn’t result in lower quality education? How can Universities leverage technology in a way that bring long-term benefits?

1. Online Education and Hybrid Learning

There are multiple costs involved with hosting lectures. A single 1 hour lecture incurs costs such as electrical and heating costs, powering student laptops through the network, and costs to the lecturer. Each student will attend an average of 14 hours of lectures per week – equating to 56 hours per month. By reducing this down to 12 hours per work, Universities can save the costs of powering 96 hours’ worth of lectures per year.

Through various apps such as Teachable, Skillshare and Learnworlds, students can virtually attend their lectures online, and access the teaching material as and whenever they need.

2. Streamline your business processes

Administration is one of the highest costs to any organisation, yet one with an effective alternative. If people are used to process forms and information repetitively, consider doing this electronically where it requires little to no human intervention.

3. Leverage technology

We are living through an ongoing digital revolution. Students expect their education to deliver a digital experience in line with the one they have in their leisure. It is important to ensure that Universities explore all options for the best possible deal on technical solutions. Read thoroughly through each bid Universities receive in response to their tender.

Additionally, seeking out the best warranty and service deals will save any University money should devices or a network go wrong.

4. Go paperless!

Going paperless doesn’t just save costs, it helps to save and neuter the environment. Universities are being encouraged to “embrace the digital reality which we ourselves are responsible for leading at the University.”

University students may pay for their printing, but consider all of the other associated costs: services, delivery, and mailing, storage, processing, disposing, and recycling. Copier and printer supplies alone amount to a huge expenditure.

By going paperless, and avoiding printing where possible, your University could save up to £25,000 per annum. Digital communications, such as emails and online portals, will reduce overall costs of printed communications and help to save the environment.

Empower your staff

Earlier this year, the Department for Education published eye-opening statistics from their ‘Teacher Workload Survey’, showing that teachers are spending over 54 hours working both in and out of the classroom per week.

With class sizes set to continue increasing, the workload for teaching staff is expected to follow suit, and this has subsequently led to the education sector within the UK taking a huge hit over the past few years. Furthermore research from The Guardian reveals that a whopping 79% of schools are struggling to recruit or retain teachers.

With central government continuing to make funding cuts, schools need to start seeking alternative methods to empower their staff.

Edtech in the classroom

Technology is increasingly playing more and more of a pivotal role within the classroom. In fact, a recent report conducted by The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has predicted that by 2018, 58% of teaching time in UK State schools will be supported with ICT equipment.

But, although research has shown the monopoly of technology within the classroom, 80% of our teachers have said that they need better access to IT in order to improve the quality of learning.

What role does technology play in saving our teachers?

There are a number of ways technology can help keep our teachers happy and reduce the amount of time they’re having to spend on simple tasks that quickly become arduous when not equipped sufficiently.

As an overview, in and out of the classroom, well-suited classroom tech can help teachers with:

• Lesson planning – reducing time through the use of collaboration tools and faster technology
• Working from home – new and more portable devices allow teachers to easily transition from the classroom to the comfort of their own homes
• In-class teaching – Slow and malfunctioning computers can drastically eat into lesson time. With the introduction of faster devices you can say goodbye to slow start-up speeds, and welcome the onset of more productive lessons.

Discover the smart way to invest in IT and empower your teaching staff

Schools, colleges and universities need to become smarter with the technology they’re investing in, not only due to budget cuts but to also maximise productivity and therefore job satisfaction amongst their teaching staff.

Smooth transition next year for students

For teachers August is a time of reflection on the year gone by, and excitement and planning for the year ahead. For students, particularly those that have worked hard to sit end of year SATs or exams, it is a chance to unwind, let off steam and put the last school year behind them whilst enjoying the summer break.

The transitional period between leaving one year group and entering the next can often be a precarious move for any student, and none more so than for a child graduating from primary education and about to navigate themselves through the unfamiliar territory of secondary.

In this blog, we take a look into how teaching staff can help to make this crucial transition as smooth as possible, whilst ensuring a student’s education doesn’t suffer along the way.

Common transition difficulties

The advancement to secondary school means a number of major changes for all children and the settling in period can take anything from a couple of weeks to a number of months.

Analysis of data collected within the Department for Children, Schools and Families report showed that the main causes of a poor transition between academic years are:

• Experiences of bullying;
• Worrying about their ability to do work;
• Having new and unfamiliar teachers;
• Worrying about not making new friends.

The academic dip

It is these variables, amongst others, that all act as contributing factors to the well-known and on-going problem of the slip in standards amongst transitioning pupils.

Research featured in the report has revealed a post-transition academic dip for students – and this could be down, in part, to teachers underestimating the ability of new year 7 pupils.

In turn, the report brings to light the concern that teaching staff and the curriculum may not be challenging the pupils sufficiently, and poses questions about the communication and relationships existing between schools and the impact this has on navigating successful transitions.

Evidence suggests that there is a need to pay particular attention to the social, emotional and pedagogical needs of pupils if a transition is to be successful.

How can teachers help pupils transition and avoid the academic dip? Assist children in developing new friendships

One of the main problems that arose throughout the research was that children are increasingly anxious about leaving old friendships behind and building new ones. This can have a large and often rather detrimental impact on a student’s confidence. To counteract this, it is important for teachers to introduce students to extracurricular activities and encourage group work to ensure that they are able to integrate with other children who have similar interests.

Identify the pupils who need extra support

All teaching staff have a responsibility to ensure each and every one of their students are adequately prepared for their next academic step. Even the most confident of students may struggle with these transitions, so it is vital to take the time to identify the pupils that might need extra support and guidance.

Ensure children are part of the process

Ensuring that pupils are an active part of the transition process, instead of passive observers is also vital. If students feel empowered throughout the process, are encouraged to communicate about their feelings and feel like they have an element of control over what is happening, their confidence is less likely to be bruised and their transition more likely to be a successful one.

Be prepared in the classroom

Don’t let a lack of preparation in the classroom deter any students. Forgotten passwords and logins can often hinder progress and stand in the way of a pupil being able to get on with the task in hand. Ensure these details are all collated and ready to go, alongside as a record or portfolio of work for each student.

Build good relationships between schools

The most important step to safeguard students during their transition between schools is to ensure a strong relationship between schools and a solid process for data-management. Sharing accurate data is the key to a good transition as it will support teachers to do their job well.

Teachers can share information with students and help to set expectations about the next academic year early – this could include an introduction to their new classroom, teacher and peers, distribution of booklets or talks at the school, and will help to support the student, and in turn avoid the academic dip.

Are you looking to go greener with your IT efforts?

Whilst universities have been at the forefront of understanding the challenges of sustainability, Higher Education remains one of the UK’s largest non-commercial consumers of energy, therefore concerns about sustainability need to be addressed.

An increasing number of universities are focusing on carbon emissions and footprint and putting this as a main priority, with targets to reduce emissions set by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

The HEFCE is committed to reducing carbon emission levels by 43% (against a 2005 baseline) by 2020 and requires all the higher education institutions (HEIs) it funds, to have a carbon management plan that contains carbon reduction targets, meaning it’s paramount to monitor performance to create a sustainable campus.

To help the sector reduce their carbon emissions, HEFCE are providing:

• Recoverable grants through the Revolving Green Fund (RGF) for projects that reduce institutions’ emissions
• Good practice guidance on producing carbon reduction strategies, targets and associated carbon management plans
• A report to estimate carbon dioxide emission baselines for each HEI that they fund.

However, many institutions have also adopted the SMART strategy when setting targets:

1. Specific – each target should address one issue
2. Measurable – targets should be expressed as a quantity
3. Achievable – targets should be reasonable for everyone involved
4. Realistic – targets should be challenging but practical, they can be reviewed once accomplished
5. Time-bound – target must have a deadline

Although, there are no financial penalties for failing to meet the 2020 targets, institutions are required to publicly report their progress towards carbon reduction targets – which is hoped will encourage them. It’s also predicted that a university’s record on sustainability will become increasingly important for students deciding where to study.

What is conclusive, is that sustainability must become deeply embedded in an institution’s policies and practices, the easiest way to make a difference and become more sustainable is through innovative and pioneering new technologies.

XMA sit on a number of frameworks that can help you meet your needs. Our team of tech specialists can find opportunities for you to save time and money in your efforts to provide cleaner, greener technology in your institution.

Did you know there are over 11 million people with a limiting long-term illness, impairment or disability in the UK? The Office for Disability Issues, state that someone with a disability is half as likely as someone without to hold a degree qualification. It is the duty of universities to ensure that students have access to the right learning tools for successful education.

But can technology be the answer?

There are an array of assistive technologies to aid students with special-needs, in offering them support, independence and confidence in the learning environment. Universities must now outline how they can support special needs students in a Disability Statement, offering all students an equal opportunity to learn and accomplish qualifications. Universities can make some simple changes to existing campus devices and discover an array of accessibility tools that will help aid learning for students with limitations.

E-textbooks

Following a study by the Higher Education Academy in the UK, it was indicated that resources are a common issue affecting the happiness of disabled students. E-textbooks offer the ability to scale text to your needs or to make use of text-to-speech software. It also allows you to hold an unlimited number of textbooks all on one device – so no more struggling to juggle lots of heavy books that also cost a fortune to buy!

Online resources

Similar to E-books, students can now access all types of digital learning materials online, including whitepapers, journals, blogs and more. Content sharing has become increasingly popular with the development of the cloud, using solutions such as Google Drive and Microsoft SharePoint. Students and teachers can share notes, presentations and other documents in one central place for anyone to access (anywhere and at any time), offering a totally accessible world of knowledge to all students.

Keyboards

University IT departments can now arrange to have their devices and desktops set up with Keyboard shortcuts for easy access to apps. This saves time and offers ease to students with disabilities.

A standard keyboard has over 100 keys, which can appear confusing and intimidating to some students. Universities can purchase special built keyboards for assistive learning, with features that include larger keys with audible click, bigger gaps between keys or coloured keys to distinguish between vowels, consonants and numbers.

Touchscreens

Some students with learning difficulties may find it hard to relate the movement of their hand on the mouse to the movement of the cursor on the screen. Therefore, it is advisable that educational institutions keep stock of touchscreen devices for students who may struggle using the standard mouse. Other mouse alternatives are also available if touchscreens are not an option.

Accessibility features

Different features are available for different types of disabilities. For example, those with a vision impairment can benefit from increasing the colour contrast of text and images or braille narration. Alternatively, those with a hearing loss can take advantage of visual alternatives to sounds such as Skype translator, visual notifications and for longer or mono audio for those with partial deafness. Setting up in-house devices with these features or offering training to students to set features up on their personal devices will hugely benefit in aiding their learning.