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2019

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October 24, 2019

ALSDE, ALEA and nSide Announce Launch of AEASE Program

ALSDE, ALEA and nSide Announce Launch of AEASE Program

MONTGOMERY, AL – October 22, 2019 – Members of the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and nSide announced the official implementation of a new program for mass communication systems within schools. After assessing local and district wide systems, nSide proposed an effort to expand connection across a broad scope of officials while minimizing the disruption of existing procedures at-hand.

This project, named the Alabama Emergency Alert System for Education or AEASE, is a mass notification system that aims to integrate school systems into one unifying platform. AEASE, powered by nSide|Notify, is a critical foundation for the following: threat assessment, tips, direct alerts to 911 call centers, event analysis, trend spotting, and the progression of future tactics.

Dr. Steve McKinney, nSide Founder and CEO, shared this remark, “We have created a network that leverages every mass communication system, in every school in the state of Alabama, and hooks them all together into a singular network that allows first responders, from the state level to the local level, to have a better picture of what’s going on in real time.”

McKinney advised Alabama schools to complete their next-step, by adding a phone number to their existing rapid notification system. In turn, allowing the new platform to receive all emergency alerts for widespread data compilation and alerts communication. Alabama is first in the nation to utilize this safety platform and begin establishing fluid communication between law enforcement and schools in the event of any emergency. 

nSide looks forward to the completion of phase one and their continued collaboration with ALEA and ALSDE. For more information on this project, contact Dr. Steve McKinney at help@nside.io or at 1-800- 604-1822.

Watch the Full Press Conference:

October 24, 2019
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October 15, 2019

Cybersecurity Month: School Approach

Cybersecurity Month: School Approach

In light of October as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NACM), we feel that acknowledging the risks of educational data storing is of imminent concern. In every school district and local institution, there is a dependency on systems to protect the privacy of students and staff. Disregarding potential threat and proper response, is likely to leave your institution vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches or attacks. We understand the reliance and necessity of these data systems for daily school functions, and we desire to help our community better plan for the protection of their educational content. We hope to share a few helpful insights as to what cybersecurity means for your schools, how to craft preventive habits, and why the merge of this practice into your Emergency Operation Plans is crucial. 

Threat Awareness

When approaching cybersecurity, it’s important to note that these threats are occurring more frequently between K-12 schools. This is, in part, is due to growth in digitalization of school administrative tasks and coursework. However, many schools fall victim to cybersecurity without initial realization. Taking time to consider the very real possibility of an attack, and what it means to your school specifically, will help in the discipline of maintaining well-monitored schools. So, what do these threats look like? They manifest in a multitude of ways, but listed below are some of the most often seen cases.

Data breaching – In this instance, sensitive or confidential data is hacked and at risk of being shared. For schools, this threat poses a serious hazard to exposure of student information or institutional banking accounts. Which, in turn, is capable of leading to crime such as identity theft and extortion of money from institutions.

Internal threats – These internal attacks take place more often than we suspect, and it is easy to fall susceptible to them. Two types of internal threats exist and must be acknowledged. The first, is that of employees corrupting permissions access and sharing unauthorized information (sometimes seeking to steal resources.) The second, and more common case, occurs when team members are not well versed in handling physical devices or sensitive systems. For example, faculty that is negligent or uninformed of privacy control has the potential to fall victim to scam targeting or misplacement of important documents.

Physical security – It is possible for cybersecurity to become a means of physical security, when cyber threats are targeted towards specific people or groups. This overlap is not to be taken lightly, when considering the health and well-being of others at risk. If a cyber criminal has internally or externally received personal information of health records, email addresses, or physical addresses, cybersecurity progresses to physical security. For instance, with this access criminals have the potential to pose threats of cyberbullying or physical violence.

Proactive Steps

Due to the nature of these risks, we find it necessary to consider best practices and resources available to you. Our team at nSide desires for your organization to be prepared in every situation, so we have identified a few practical ways that you might be able to prevent, properly respond, and promptly recover from these attacks.

  1. Cultivate a culture of risk assessment. Train employees to recognize threats and follow in appropriate next steps.
  2. Keep track of employees that have access control and withdraw permissions to any faculty member that transfers or withdraws from the system entirely.
  3. Change passwords to data regularly and limit any recurring words or phrases.
  4. Familiarize your team with patterns that exhibit cybercrime scams and behaviors.
  5. Stay acclimated to the monitoring of data, by regularly practicing and evolving plans. 

EOP Integration Steps

Emergency Operation Planning is just one tool of many that nSide has accessible to organizations. Within the context of cybersecurity, EOP integration is of significant use. Because of this, it is important to understand the ways in which your cybersecurity is integrated into a plan. In short, this model provides a process for deliberate protection and readiness against all threats. This is a foundational resource for your school’s security to build upon. You might ask yourself, is my EOP updated and inclusive of cybersecurity plans?

The following steps are sourced from a “A Companion to the School Guide,” by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (5).

Our Support

As districts and schools spread awareness of cybersecurity month and the urgency of this message, our team will be here with additional resources to assist you along the way. We believe that understanding threats, and our role in best practices for them, is critical to the execution of these situations. Additionally, we know that the community at large has a responsibility in training, monitoring systems, and responding to risk. Navigating these threats might seem like a daunting task, but we are here to help! As the month of October progresses, we will continue to share valuable tips to consider in your security steps and daily functions.

If you are curious about EOP features within nSide, or need help merging cybersecurity practices, we would love to discuss what tools are available for the benefit of your school safety. You can always reach us via live chat or by email at help@nside.io.

October 15, 2019
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August 27, 2019

The School Safety Summit for Alabama — December 2019

The School Safety Summit for Alabama — December 2019

Hello!

You’re invited to the 2019 School Safety Summit of Alabama. The Summit is an excellent opportunity to network with first responders and education officials, while brushing up on the latest school safety advancements and resources. This year, we have a diverse group of presenters for the topics most important to today’s K-12, college, and university administrators.The conference will be held December 2nd — 3rd, in Orange Beach, AL. Early registration begins now, so be sure to reserve your spot!

A couple of topics to be presented and discussed by subject matter experts are:

  • State Initiatives on Prevention, Communication, and Response
  • Threat Assessment and Crisis Prevention
  • Signs and Wayfinding
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Stop the Bleed and Tourniquet Use

Registration is Open!

The Early Bird Special goes until December 1st! There is a $10 savings to everyone who registers and pays before then.

Register Here!

We have negotiated great room rates with multiple hotels for the period of December 1–4, 2019 in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area!

When? December 2nd, 8:00 am to December 3rd 5:00 pm, 2019

Where? Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf

Hotel Accommodations? CLICK HERE

August 27, 2019
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June 30, 2019

The Essence of nSide: Summer Conferences in Review

The Essence of nSide: Summer Conferences in Review

Our team has been on the move from one conference to another across Alabama, seeking to gather and provide information as to how we can better foster your school’s safety. nSide team members attended a multitude of events, all of which further the same common goal to promote safe and secure environments through efficient preparations. To share with you our experiences, we asked a series of questions among attendees from the nSide team. In recording their accounts, we hope you will gain insight to the essence of nSide and our genuine desire to fulfill your needs.

Interview Questions:

What were some general highlights of the conference and information you shared?

Were you surprised by any discussion, or able to better learn from your interaction within the event?

What did you find most rewarding about representing nSide at the conference?

TAASRO

The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers placed their 20th Annual “Safe Schools” training conference June 3–7, in Orange Beach, Alabama. The theme for the weekend was “Proactive ways to avert School Violence,” which covered a variety of topics, such as faculty awareness and precautionary methods to secure school safety. nSide School Safety Specialist, Proncey Robertson, volunteered a short summation.

  • “We had administrators, nurses, law enforcement, mental health workers, and social workers, all present with the interest of protecting our schools and learning more about how to work together as a collaborative team. In that course, our job is just to make sure they’re familiar with our platform and see if there’s any way we can better serve their communities and schools.”
  • “Probably one of the biggest challenges is that there’s so many people getting involved in school safety that still don’t know a lot about the tools that are available to them within the nSide School Safety Platform. A lot of our time was spent making sure they know where to find information within their Emergency Operations Plans. The more they’re involved in that the better, and we have to make sure they know how to gain access to those procedures.”
  • “Again, it’s an opportunity to interact with those folks who actually have to do the job on the ground. To learn what they are facing, what their challenges and concerns are, so that we can better react to their needs. I guess the biggest benefit of being at the conference is to learn, because we really do want to be a help. This is not just about selling them a product. It’s about giving them tools that they can actually use in a practical sense. So to do that, we have to talk to them one-on-one and learn about their needs.”

ASTA

The Alabama School Transportation Association’s 77th Annual Conference took place June 3–7, in Mobile, Alabama. The conference provided training for personnel involved in local transportation programs, as well as discussion over hands-on topics. nSide Account Manager, Alan Bentley, shared with us his takeaways from the event.

  • “The conference provides its members an opportunity to attend educational, as well as hands-on, sessions dealing with current school bus transportation topics. I had a booth at the conference representing nSide|Fleet™, our tracking and routing hardware/software for school buses. So, some of the general topics I covered were live bus tracking, route history, bus routing software, how trackers work, and our all-in-one cost.”
  • “I was surprised to receive a question about possible access to bus cameras live, while the bus is on route. Some districts have been interested in this, in case of an emergency, but it’s one of those things that could cost an arm and a leg to accomplish. Since the question has been asked, we’ve taken measures to research with one of our partners and pair together with another company. We’ve been striving to help provide solutions for this feature within nSide|Fleet™. So, now, there’s two options that will allow users access to camera feeds on buses en route.”
  • “What I enjoy is the relationship building aspect. I think it is important to have a strong, trusting relationship. When you reach that point, people feel comfortable enough to call on you.”

ALET

Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology held their summer conference on June 4th, in Hoover Alabama. nSide CTO , John Sercel visited the event and spoke well of their objective for “Alabama EdTech leaders to discuss system-level challenges and solutions.”

  • “What we’ve been talking about is the new Technical Point of Contact program to get technology leaders at different school districts access to nSide organization administration. So, they’ll be able to manage their own users and districts in the nSide School Safety Platform. We had pamphlets there, as well, to generate interest in Verkada cameras and ask them about what their current camera systems are.”
  • “It was interesting to learn what they knew about their camera systems. Schools will have a wide variety of cameras from all different manufacturers, some of them are going to be older, some of them have limited connectivity to local DVR systems, some may be newer and have web views. But the Verkada are much more secure, use newer technologies, and connect automatically to the web. They even connect to where they don’t have to have any other technical infrastructure on-site. So, they can plug these cameras in and access them through the website, and it’s a newer generation of camera technology with a lot less direct technical work.”
  • “Any time we get out in the field, with a different group of people connected to the nSide platform, it fills in a little more of what we, here in the office, don’t know. We interact with individual users and, a lot of times, we don’t get to see the big picture. It’s very helpful for us to get out and just hear from a completely different group of potential users. We get the opportunity to understand what their problems are, what they deal with in managing their own systems, and how we could address some of their needs.”

SSA

School Superintendents of Alabama hosted a summer conference for Meaningful Collaboration and Networking June 16–19 in Point Clear, AL. They are a professional association, geared towards school system executives and their leadership teams. nSide Founder and CEO, Steve McKinney, sat down with us to offer his perspective.

  • “More than anything, I wanted time spent in person and the opportunity to cultivate relationships and hear a lot of their problems. We did talk a lot about security in the form of physical measures, like cameras and access control, because that’s on a lot of people’s minds. But we also talked about things like school buses and the issues that they face with logistics and transportation, which was a bit of a departure from traditional school safety conversations. So, it traversed across a wide array of topics. But that’s what I hoped it would do, because every district is different. Every relationship is different. And when you reach the point, with a superintendent or any client, when they’re able to view you as a confidant and a partner, then you’ve achieved something.”
  • “So, this is the first time that a superintendent (and several of them did it) brought their architects over to meet with us. And that was different. Some of what I learned in that engagement is that a lot of the new schools are moving towards a different type of power system. They’ve recognized that this Digital Age is rapidly moving, which means they’re in need of not only normal power structure in buildings but also low voltage power structures. All of that leads to having additional sensors, effectively put inside the operations of these facilities as they become more and more ubiquitous in the new power message.”
  • “For the most part, these are tried and true friends or people that I’ve worked with for years. So, it’s a very cordial kind of environment, even though it’s formal. When it’s that way, it’s less about your introductory message, and it’s more about their day to day problems. Anytime you’re building a relationship, it is about being a person that they can confide in, in such a way that no one is. To the extent where if you don’t have a solution then it’s between you and them, but if you know of any possible solution, you offer it, regardless of whether it’s beneficial to you or not. And that’s what we try to cultivate. It’s good to have a common mission with people that you genuinely do care about.”

We are always grateful for the opportunity to exchange ideas, and we strive to do so among others that share our affinity for refining school safety. nSide firmly believes that growth is spurred on through active participation of community members and school administrators and staff alike. So, we encourage you to look into any of the above organizations for future events, or join our community page for further discussion!

As is discernible throughout this collection, we feel that conferences are best met with problem-solution mentalities and client-first care. If you happen to see us at an upcoming event, we encourage you to continue getting to know us and the greater depths of our mission. We hope this post is valuable to your understanding of our team at nSide, and we look forward to the new school year ahead!

June 30, 2019
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June 10, 2019

Is Narcan Administration Part of Your Emergency Operation Plan?

Is Narcan Administration Part of Your Emergency Operation Plan?

CBS News released a story discussing the newest precautionary methods to prevent opioid overdose among schools in Alabama. In 2015, more than 400 overdose deaths were linked to opioid usage in state. Faculty in schools have taken initiative to instill widespread training and preparation of Narcan (naloxone), a medication designed to reverse opioid overdose, in order to ready themselves in the event of a medical emergency.

How Narcan (naloxone) is Issued

Narcan administered in school systems requires simple instructions, provided verbally by the device to the user. Although there are multiple methods, EVZIO is the chosen auto-injection device that faculty and emergency personnel are being trained to use. Once injected into the outer thigh, the device automates a countdown to secure the time necessary for disbursement.

How can you better familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose? How does naloxone inverse these effects? The National Institute of Drug Overdose produced the video below to provide guidance on these topics.

nSide in Action

nSide — The School Safety Platform is a crucial organizational element and aid to enhance school safety. With our virtual mapping process, your facility receives immediate access to location of medical kits, emergency exits, campus layout, and more. With digitization of these features and documentation of safety exercises in the EOP section, adjustments to preparation are easily manageable.

When developing a new procedure, it can often be difficult to establish a pragmatic method with adequate support. However, the nSide team is here to help. We encourage you to plan, prepare, and practice guided approaches that ensure safety for your organization and community. These three steps are recycled endlessly, to secure the emergency operation plan and strengthen the alertness and response of your team.

  • Plan your emergency procedure, to establish a firm foundation and smooth implementation of policy.
  • Prepare, by assessing any resources necessary to fulfill your plan.
  • Practice the plan you have constructed and fine-tune any miscued steps.

Is Narcan administration part of your school’s EOP?

The Emergency Operation Plan portion of nSide is where the school safety and emergency planning team document safety plans related to various crises and events that could potentially happen. Has an opioid overdose been considered as a part of your team’s emergency planning? Who would be in charge of the different elements of response in the case of such an event? Who is trained to administer Narcan to a person who has overdosed? Would you and your team know where to find a kit in the building if it was needed?

Introducing new mapping icon

With so much attention being brought to the opioid crisis nationwide, and proactive training by some schools in Alabama, the nSide team has created a new mapping icon for Narcan. This icon can be used to quickly designate the location of devices and kits on the map of your facility. Simply contact our support team on our live chat to get this added to the Emergency Equipment layer on your map.

June 10, 2019
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