The Critical Value of Cybersecurity in Today’s Digital Landscape

In the digital age, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be understated. As businesses and organisations increasingly depend on technological solutions for their operations, they open themselves up to a growing array of cyber threats. Despite this, a staggering 66% of small businesses express concern over cybersecurity risks, with 47% admitting a lack of knowledge in safeguarding themselves. This gap in understanding leaves them exposed to the potentially devastating costs of cyber attacks.

Illustrating the tangible benefits of cybersecurity initiatives to those in charge of financial decisions poses its own set of challenges. While the necessity for protective measures is obvious, leaders demand solid evidence to justify the expenditure. This piece delves into strategies to effectively demonstrate the real-world benefits of cybersecurity investments, offering insights into how such measures not only safeguard but also add value to your organisation.

Demonstrating the Financial Benefits of Cybersecurity

Why is it so difficult to showcase the financial gains from cybersecurity investments? Unlike direct assets that generate revenue, the advantages of cybersecurity are often indirect and preventive. Investing in strong cybersecurity measures is similar to buying an insurance policy—it’s about risk mitigation rather than immediate financial gain. The hypothetical nature of potential costs, dependent on the effectiveness of current cybersecurity measures, makes it hard to quantify their monetary value. Moreover, the success of these measures is frequently gauged by incidents that fail to occur, complicating the attribution of a clear financial benefit and leaving companies searching for metrics that can accurately convey their economic impact.

Here are some approaches to convey the tangible value of cybersecurity initiatives:

1. Evaluating Risk Reduction

Demonstrating the value of cybersecurity can be effectively achieved by showcasing risk reduction. Organisations can use historical data and threat intelligence to provide solid proof of how their cybersecurity efforts have decreased the likelihood and impact of potential threats.

2. Analysing Response Times to Incidents

Minimising damage from cyber incidents hinges on quick response times. Illustrating reductions in incident response time can highlight the efficiency of cybersecurity measures. Estimating the cost of downtime and showing how quicker responses can save money underscores the value of these investments. According to Pingdom, the average downtime cost is up to $427 per minute for small businesses and up to $16,000 per minute for larger enterprises.

3. Conducting Financial Impact Assessments

The financial ramifications of cybersecurity incidents are significant. By performing a detailed financial impact analysis, organisations can identify the savings made possible by cybersecurity measures, taking into account downtime, data breaches, legal repercussions, and damage to reputation.

4. Tracking Compliance

Adherence to regulatory requirements demonstrates a commitment to data protection and cybersecurity. By monitoring and reporting compliance metrics, organisations can further prove the worth of their cybersecurity initiatives.

5. Assessing Training Programme Effectiveness

Given that human error is a major vulnerability in cybersecurity, evaluating the effectiveness of employee training programmes is vital. This shows how prepared the workforce is to identify and react to threats, directly bolstering the company’s cyber defences.

6. Measuring User Awareness

Beyond training effectiveness, user awareness metrics offer insights into employees’ understanding and compliance with cybersecurity policies, including reporting phishing attempts and following security protocols.

7. Demonstrating Technology ROI

The return on investment from cybersecurity technology, measured through metrics such as the number of threats blocked, can significantly highlight the value of cybersecurity measures.

8. Monitoring Data Protection

For those handling sensitive data, metrics on data breaches prevented, data loss incidents, and the success of encryption are crucial in demonstrating cybersecurity effectiveness.

9. Managing Vendor Risk

With many organisations depending on third-party vendors, metrics on vendor risk management, including security assessments and improvements, are key in showcasing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

Book Your Cybersecurity Evaluation

Understanding the value and state of your cybersecurity measures begins with a thorough assessment. Gaining this knowledge is a crucial step in building a culture of security and resilience within your organisation.

April 11, 2023April 11, 2023

Protected: The Best VoIP Features for Your Small Business

March 23, 2023March 23, 2023

Avantis World

Daniel Smith

So what exactly is Avantis World?

Envision being able to transport your students to the moon, glide through a blood vessel, or journey back in time to encounter dinosaurs – all without the constraints of physical location or device limitations. Avantis World is an unparalleled learning platform where the impossible becomes a (virtual) reality! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s in store…

The world's first educational VR theme park!

Experience the wonders of our planet, delve into the realm of science, journey through history, and immerse yourself in literature with Avantis World – the groundbreaking educational VR theme park. Students can access hundreds of virtual reality experiences that offer a unique way to learn and engage with diverse subjects. And this is just the beginning – Avantis World has three more exciting lands currently under construction. The first four lands are now open exclusively to season ticket holders. It’s time to embark on a journey of discovery and exploration!

Engaging Earth Land

Embark on a journey of discovery and explore the incredible diversity of our planet, spanning from the North to South Pole. Discover the Earth’s astonishing range of biomes, experience its most extreme climates and conditions, and unravel the mysteries hidden beneath its surface.

Super Science Land

Step into Super Science Land – your ultimate destination for unraveling the mysteries of science and understanding how things work! While hands-on learning is an excellent way to grasp scientific concepts, it may not always be feasible or practical. VR aids students in comprehending the intricate workings of our world.

Trip Through Time Land

Check outTrip Through Time Land – the historical hub of Avantis World, crafted to transport students back in time and enable them to immerse themselves in the lives of people from the past. Ever wished you could journey through history with your students? Now you can.

Literacy Land
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Engaging Curriculum Resources

Avantis World’s virtual reality lands are accompanied by an extensive array of educational resources, carefully crafted to maximize the learning potential of every lesson. Each learning zone and scene is enriched with detailed subject information, 3D augmented reality models, and 360-degree images and videos, all of which offer students contextual understanding before embarking on their exploration.

From immersive VR content to captivating curriculum resources, Avantis World is accessible via a secure website, enabling students to learn about a topic either in the classroom or remotely, with all the resources they need at their fingertips.

Teacher Reporting & Assessment

Avantis World also features an extensive range of reporting and assessment tools, specifically designed to streamline teachers’ workload.

As students engage with the educational activities and quizzes, their progress and performance are carefully monitored and recorded. With the help of a user-friendly web-interface, teachers can effortlessly identify areas where students may require extra support or guidance, and create additional lesson plans accordingly.

Collaborate from anywhere

Avantis World offers seamless collaboration and teaching opportunities, irrespective of the location or device availability of your students.

Whether in a classroom or remotely, Avantis World supports every model of teaching and learning. You can bring your students together for a guided, teacher-controlled session or allow them to explore the theme park at their own pace. Students can learn collaboratively in groups or even experience the incredible themepark exclusively on their own – the choice is entirely up to you.

BOOK A FREE DEMONSTRATION TODAY

March 22, 2023March 23, 2023

Research in the Use of VR Learning

This ClassVR report provides a great insight into the advantages of using Virtual Reality in the classroom for enhanced learning.

Studies Virtual reality tools have proven to be more than just novel visual aids for education – they are powerful learning tools. Research shows that retention rates rise when students or trainees use virtual reality to immerse themselves in a lesson or scenario. In Dragani’s (2019) investigations into why virtual learning works, she found that a University of Maryland study showed median recall accuracy rates with VR headsets hit 90 percent compared to 78 percent for learning with desktop computers. She also explains how, in Beijing, students whose lessons were supplemented with VR averaged scores of 93 on a final exam, a 20-percentage point increase from those who relied on traditional classroom learning.

RESEARCH IN THE USE OF VIRTUAL REALITY LEARNING

This document has been written to explore research into the use of virtual & augmented reality within the sphere of learning. It collates research from a range of sources, studies & organisations to substantiate how & why VR learning can be used to enhance and improve outcomes for learners.

Further to this, from Edgar Dale’s cone of learning theory, we know when students experience something – whether a simulation or the real thing – their ability to retain, reproduce and apply this learning is greatly improved. Indeed, if learners are immersed within a context, a situation or given an augmented experience to hold and manipulate, Dale’s theory would suggest that their recall, application and indeed even information creation can be scaffolded and supported, leading to schematic connections being developed easier and with more long-lasting results.

Learn more about ClassVR

Research in the Use of VR Learning

March 22, 2023 No Comments

This ClassVR report provides a great insight into the advantages of using Virtual Reality in the classroom for enhanced learning. Studies Virtual reality tools have

Classroom VR Ideas with ClassVR

May 19, 2022 No Comments

ClassVR is an excellent educational tool for the full classroom educational experience. You can learn more about it on our ClassVR Page. If you are

March 2, 2023March 3, 2023

ChatGPT & Advancements in AI for Students

Here is our Ed-Tech Wrap for March 2023

The introduction of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT in schools has sparked recent controversy and debate. Some see it as a groundbreaking technology that can enhance the learning experience for students, while others are concerned about the potential downsides and risks associated with AI. Specifically AI generated content passing as student work. Plagiarism, misinformation and bias are a few issues surfacing.

One of the main concerns is that AI-powered tools like ChatGPT may make students too reliant on technology and hinder their critical thinking skills. Some argue that students may become overly dependent on ChatGPT for answers, rather than developing their own problem-solving skills and analytical abilities.

Is it similar to past technologies or is it more revolutionary? Once upon a time, calculators were the latest and greatest technology that students could use, followed by PCs and the the Internet – allowing for immediate access to a huge amount of information on just about any topic.

As with any new technology, it’s important to carefully consider the potential benefits and risks before deciding to use it in a school setting. It is important to keep an open mind and explore new tools and techniques that can help students reach their full potential but not without the correct checks and balances.

Our Ed-tech wrap looks at some news on what actions Australian schools are taking.

Can you tell between a year 6 student and AI? Teachers say they can

“Monte San Angelo principal Nicole Christensen said teachers would recognise immediately if a student had used artificial intelligence. “We thought Google would change everything, it has been the opposite, it has made students more curious,” she said.”

Verkada Intercom for Enhanced Security

As a school ICT manager in Australia, your top priority is to ensure the security and safety of your school campus. One effective way to do this is by using a video intercom system that allows you to easily identify visitors and control access to the school.

Verkada’s cloud-managed video intercom system is a great option to consider for your school. It offers many benefits, including enhanced security, clear audio and sharp video, flexible deployment options, and easy management and call routing.

One of the standout features of Verkada’s video intercom system is its clear audio and sharp video quality. You can easily see and hear who is outside the school entrance, allowing you to make informed decisions about granting or denying entry.

In addition, Verkada’s video intercom system is highly flexible and can be customized to suit your school’s unique needs. You can easily deploy any combination of video intercoms, receivers, and call routing configurations to take calls from anywhere.

Another advantage of Verkada’s video intercom system is its effortless deployment. The PoE intercom comes online and is fully operational in just a few minutes, without the need for complex configurations.

Verkada’s video intercom system also includes integrated context cameras and door access control, which can help improve entrance security and make it easier to manage access to your school.

One of the most convenient features of Verkada’s video intercom system is its ability to adapt to your organization’s workflows and requirements. You can choose from flexible receiver options and smart call routing to ensure that calls are directed to the right person or device.

Verkada’s video intercom system also simplifies enterprise video intercom systems by providing intuitive, cloud-based management tools. You can easily add new receivers, configure call routing logic, or check incoming calls from any browser, right in Verkada Command.

Overall, Verkada’s video intercom system is an excellent choice for any school looking to enhance its security and control access to its campus. With its clear audio and sharp video, flexible deployment options, and easy management tools, Verkada’s video intercom system is an unmatched solution that will help keep your school safe and secure.

March 2, 2023March 7, 2023

5 High-impact Strategies for School IT Leaders

Verkada has created a great document about high impact strategies for school IT leaders. You can download the full document below.

“School leaders need to maximize the impact they can generate with the resources, time and people they have. Often, school leaders are constrained by limited budgets, small IT teams and a larger and growing bases of users.

Despite these challenges, many IT leaders in the education space are deploying high–impact strategies to ensure that they can create maximum impact and keep their schools safe and healthy.“

Here are the 5 strategies in brief:

Strategy #1
Unify technology systems on one platform

Strategy #2
Use physical security devices for proactive insights

Strategy #3
Create an automated, real-time physical security response plan

Strategy #4
Health and safety start at the door

Strategy #5
Scale your IT team by empowering users

Download the full document to learn more:

February 22, 2023March 2, 2023

ChatGPT Interesting Reads

February 14, 2023March 2, 2023

Hybrid Cloud Video Security with Verkada

Verkada’s line of hybrid cloud security cameras combine powerful edge–based processing with the limitless capabilities of cloud computing. With Verkada’s hybrid cloud architecture, cameras analyse events in real–time, while simultaneously leveraging Verkada’s industry–leading computer vision technology for instantaneous insights that bring speed and efficiency to incident investigation.

Verkada’s centralised web–based platform, Command, allows users can find the footage they need in seconds. With features like Motion Detection, People Analytics and Vehicle Analytics, teams can quickly search across their organisation to find relevant footage, eliminating the need to scrub through incidents manually.

All cameras have built–in onboard storage, including extended storage options with up to 365 days of continuous recording in standard quality. With Verkada, organizations no longer need to worry about managing and maintaining devices like NVRs. Verkada cameras can self–manage, process and safely store footage locally on each device, while cloud–based archiving allows organisations to save and share as much footage as needed.

Available in a wide range of form factors, including indoor and outdoor models, Verkada security cameras work out–of– the–box without any additional downloads or configurations. Users can access events and associated footage from virtually anywhere and from any device. Most importantly, without needing to open port forwards or setup VPNs, all Verkada traffic is automatically protected with data encrypted in–transit (AES–128) and at–rest (AES–256).

Learn more by downloading the Verkada – Security at Scale document.

September 22, 2022October 13, 2022

Protecting documents in Microsoft 365 Business Premium with sensitivity labels

Assigning sensitivity labels to documents is an excellent way to protect specific private documents. In a school setting this could be rolled out for a specific year group, welfare or wellbeing team or to specific roles such as School Counsellor.

Apply labels to organisational documents without hindering productivity and collaboration while staying within your organisation’s working space. The tutorial video gives a good insight, for further information check out the Microsoft help doc – Learn about sensitivity labels.