Bad Actors Innovate, Extort and Launch 9.7M DDoS Attacks in 2021 According to the Latest NETSCOUT Threat Intelligence Report

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Ransomware Gangs, DDoS-for-Hire Services, and Server Class Botnet Armies Make Attacks Easier to Launch with Greater Sophistication

London – 22 March 2022 – NETSCOUT SYSTEMS, INC., (NASDAQ: NTCT) today announced findings from its bi-annual Threat Intelligence Report. During the second half of 2021, cybercriminals launched approximately 4.4 million Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, bringing the total number of DDoS attacks in 2021 to 9.75 million. These attacks represent a 3% decrease from the record number set during the height of the pandemic but continue at a pace that’s 14% above pre-pandemic levels.

The report details how the second half of 2021 established high-powered botnet armies and rebalanced the scales between volumetric and direct-path (non-spoofed) attacks, creating more sophisticated operating procedures for attackers and adding new tactics, techniques, and methods to their arsenals.

“While it may be tempting to look at the decrease in overall attacks as threat actors scaling back their efforts, we saw significantly higher activity compared to pre-pandemic levels,” said Richard Hummel, threat intelligence lead, NETSCOUT. “The reality is that attackers are constantly innovating and adapting new techniques, including the use of server-class botnets, DDoS-for-Hire services, and increased used direct-path attacks that continually perpetuate the advancement of the threat landscape.”

Other key findings from the NETSCOUT 2H2021 Threat Intelligence Report include:

  • DDoS Extortion and Ransomware Operations are on the rise. Three high-profile DDoS extortion campaigns simultaneously operating is a new high. Ransomware gangs including Avaddon, REvil, BlackCat, AvosLocker, and Suncrypt were observed using DDoS to extort victims. Because of their success, ransomware groups have DDoS extortion operators masquerading as affiliates like the recent REvil DDoS Extortion campaign.
  • VOIP Services were Targets of DDoS Extortion. Worldwide DDoS extortion attack campaigns from the REvil copycat were waged against several VOIP services providers. One VOIP service provider reported $9M-$12M in revenue loss due to DDoS attacks.
  • DDoS-for-Hire services made attacks easy to launch. NETSCOUT examined 19 DDoS-for-Hire services and their capabilities that eliminate the technical requirements and cost of launching massive DDoS attacks. When combined, they offer more than 200 different attack types.
  • APAC attacks increased by 7% as other regions subsided. Amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, the Asia-Pacific region saw the most significant increase in attacks year over year compared to other regions.
  • Server-class botnet armies arrived. Cybercriminals have not only increased the number of Internet-of-Things (IoT) botnets but have also conscripted high-powered servers and high-capacity network devices, as seen with the GitMirai, Meris, and Dvinis botnets.
  • Direct-path attacks are gaining in popularity. Adversaries inundated organisations with TCP- and UDP-based floods, otherwise known as direct-path or non-spoofed attacks. Meanwhile, a decrease in some amplification attacks drove down the number of total attacks.
  • Attackers targeted select industries. Those hardest hit include software publishers (606% increase), insurance agencies and brokers (257% increase), computer manufacturers (162% increase), and colleges, universities, and professional schools (102% increase)
  • The fastest DDoS attack recorded a 107% year-over-year increase. Using DNS, DNS amplification, ICMP, TCP, ACK, TCP RST, and TCP SYN vectors, the multi-vector attack against a target in Russia recorded 453 Mpps.

NETSCOUT’s Threat Intelligence Report covers the latest trends and activities in the DDoS threat landscape. It covers data captured from NETSCOUT’s Active Level Threat Analysis System (ATLAS™) coupled with insights from NETSCOUT’s ATLAS Security Engineering & Response Team.

The visibility and insights compiled from the global DDOS attack data, which is represented in the Threat Intelligence Report and can be seen in the Omnis Threat Horizon portal, fuel the ATLAS Intelligence Feed used across NETSCOUT’s Omnis security portfolio to detect and block threat activity for enterprises and service providers worldwide.

Visit our interactive website more information on NETSCOUT’s semi-annual Threat Intelligence Report. You can also find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter for threat updates and the latest trends and insights.

Schools win big by sharing their inspiring stories in national competition

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Promethean awards more than £60,000 in edtech to schools

 

It’s an excellent start to the new year for 20 lucky schools across the UK, celebrating wins in ‘Classroom Stories’ – a national competition run by global education technology company, Promethean.

 

The focus of this year’s competition was “celebrating positivity in education”. Schools across the UK were invited to make a two-minute video, illustrating a unique aspect of their classroom that made them proud.

 

The Classroom Stories competition is intended to champion the voices of educators and students, providing them with a chance to show off their creativity. This year’s entries included a wide range of content, from teachers performing song and dance routines to keep students engaged over lockdown, to a staged “dinosaur dig” inside a classroom – sandpit included.

Promethean gifted each winning school one of their ActivPanel interactive displays, complete with training and support, representing a total prize value for the entire competition at £60,000.

 

Ready for the brand-new term, the ActivPanel displays are sure to give staff and students an exciting springboard for 2022. 

Looking out for entrants that showed passion, innovation, and imagination were guest judges Alex Bramley, National Teaching Gold Award-winner, and Andrew Murden from Naace (the National Association for Education Technology).

 

Representing Promethean on the judging panel, Jim Wallis, Head of UKI Market, commented: “We would like to congratulate all the winning schools on their fantastic entries into the Classroom Stories competition. Promethean is always excited to celebrate positivity in education, and this competition is a wonderful way to reward creativity and ambition in the classroom.”

Kewaigue School was one of the successful winners of the Classroom Stories competition. Class teacher, Hannah Lewis, reflected: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside my class to create this classroom story of our school.

“The children worked so hard from creating a script, to working in front and behind the camera and finally editing and creating the final product. When we told the children we had won the panel, they just couldn’t believe it they were speechless!

“It was wonderful that all our hard work and efforts to tell our story of how we are making a difference in the community had been recognised and rewarded. Now the news has settled, the children and I are all very excited to make active use of the ActivPanel in our classroom.” Hannah continued.

Here is a full list of the 20 winning schools:

  • Ashleigh Primary School, Blackburn
  • Aspull Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Wigan
  • Balscadden National School, Balscadden
  • Barnhill Primary School, Dundee
  • Belthorn Academy Primary School, Blackburn
  • Kewaigue School, Douglas
  • Linn Primary School, Larne
  • Marsden Junior School, Huddersfield
  • Moor End Community Primary School, Accrington
  • Nether Kellet Community Primary School, Carnforth
  • Severn Beach Primary School, Bristol
  • South Camberley Primary & Nursery School, Camberley
  • St Joseph the Worker Catholic Primary School, Kirkby
  • St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Chorley
  • St Nicholas C of E Primary School, Blackpool
  • St Patricks RC Primary School, Preston
  • Summerseat Methodist Primary School, Bury
  • The Hall School, London
  • Victoria Primary, Edinburgh
  • Whitehouse Common Primary School, Sutton Coldfield

To learn more about the ActivPanel, please visit the Promethean website. 

 

-ends-

Improving student engagement with active learning

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Giancarlo Brotto, Global Education Advisor at SMART Technologies

One of the biggest struggles teachers have faced since the start of the pandemic is ensuring they remain connected with their students. Irrespective of where lessons are held – whether online from a kitchen table, or in a traditional classroom – forging relationships with pupils is key to ensuring teachers stay on top of their student’s academics and wellbeing, providing total support to students. Key to this is engagement which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was badly affected. 

A study from June 2020 from the National Foundation for Educational Research, which assessed pupil engagement in the earlier stages of the pandemic, found that only 42% of pupils had returned the last piece of set work given at the time of research, with 90% of teachers claiming their pupils were doing much less work than they would usually at that time of year. 

For the two years that followed that aforementioned report, teachers worked tirelessly to ensure students continued to feel engaged, particularly around social emotional learning (SEL), math and literacy. 

Developing students in these three areas has always been core to the UK curriculum, but the ability of teachers to do so while navigating the challenges of a pandemic and remote learning brought a myriad of challenges to educators. As a result, active learning and blended learning became an increasingly popular method of ensuring pupils remained engaged.

Active learning is what its name implies. It is an approach that helps learners store new information into long-term memory and helps learners develop a conceptual understanding of the material. Research has identified several benefits of active learning for students. It improves critical thinking, increases retention of new information, improves transfer of new information and promotes higher-order thinking skills. 

Applying active learning to the curriculum

We looked into the benefits of active learning in SEL, math and literacy in a whitepaper on how to keep pupils engaged, and found common benefits across each subject area. For literacy skill development, we found that peer-to-peer and small group work benefited young children greatly, allowing pupils to collaborate and share ideas, connect with prior knowledge, and think critically about their reading. Meanwhile student-directed learning, whereby students drive their own learning and are given time for self-reflection, can significantly boost reading skills, stamina and fluency.

Elsewhere for maths, three core active learning approaches have proved successful in improving students’ understanding of basic math, including hands-on learning such as geoboards, tangrams, pattern blocks and money. As humans, we only have a limited capacity to process new information at any given time, so creating multiple opportunities for learners to spend time being active through a variety of hands-on learning allows pupils to activate their brain and to transfer new knowledge into long-term memory. Similarly, encouraging students to actively engage with content improves their acquisition of basic math skills which, when combined with a range of games, puzzles and playful experiences, can enhance their confidence in the subject.

Finally, for SEL, students who were given choices in how they learn and show what they know report higher levels of self-efficacy and positive autonomy. Likewise, students that interact with content in small groups through physical and virtual learning stations develop a deeper understanding of the content, while relationship building activities and games that ease classroom tensions support the development of advanced social skills and resiliency. 

Throughout the pandemic, technology has allowed teachers to apply these active learning principles. Lumio, SMART Technologies’ digital learning tool, for instance, allowed educators to easily transition between the classroom and remote learning, to make new learning situations easier for students and teachers. Lumio, along with other educational technologies, allowed teachers to be creative with their active learning methods and, crucially, to adapt their teaching process as and when circumstances changes throughout the pandemic. 

Crucially, Lumio supports with boosting engagement by supporting the ways in which pupils learn, by improving perception, attention and memory through its range of templates and features. 

Active learning places students at the centre of their education. It’s a simple shift that can produce dramatic results. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that, despite whatever challenges are thrown at teachers, this teaching method can continue in the classroom or virtually. 

Acer is Back at BETT Live show and will be showcasing the latest Chromebooks and Windows 11 TravelMates for Education

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After 2 years away, Acer is back at this year’s live BETT show with the latest innovations and technology, showcasing new devices as part of the Acer for Education pledge to ‘Inspire Daily, Learn Always’.

  • Join Google | Acer @ stand SC42 – This stand will focus on the Chrome environment and be a place where you can see demos of the new eco-friendly Acer Chromebooks. To see all the latest Acer education products visit the Acer Partners stands and for each demonstration, Acer will plant 100 trees via Ecologi. Partner stands are Misco @ SA51, EE @ SN53 and Stone @ SG31
  • Visit Acer @ the Microsoft Theater March 24 at 3.30pm for an Acer Keynote speech and Danesfield school’s first-hand experience on Windows11SE
  • Learn more about Acer & Planet9 @ Esports Arena on March 23 – 25 Experience our Esports devices and PLANET9 or March 24 At 1.30-2pm: Acer keynote speech and At 3-5pm: AcerEsports school tournament.

 

London, UK (March 17, 2022) Acer are excited to announce the return to BETT live at the Excel in London after a 2-year break away due to the pandemic. Acer’s goal is to bring innovative technologies to schools and help educators create better learning environments so that students can develop the skills they need for the future through the Acer Stem Rewards and the BETT show is the perfect opportunity to showcase the extensive Acer STEM reward program which offers a wide range of benefits to educators.

As part of the Acer Stem Rewards, schools who purchase Acer classroom devices can claim rewards up to the value of £1000, in the form of cashback or training support.

For a full overview of the Acer Stem Rewards that are available visit the Bett Show and speak to one of the Acer representatives on the Acer Stand (Bett Hall SC42).

Some of the new devices available to purchase using the Acer Stem Rewards will be demonstrated at the show including the four new Acer Chromebooks that come with an array of durability and eco-friendly features, including MIL-STD 810H rating, mechanically-anchored keyboards, OceanGlass™ touchpads and use of post-consumer recycled plastics.

“The popularity of Chromebooks continues to grow thanks to the robust features in the Chrome Education Upgrade combined with advances in Chromebook design, features and technology,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, IT Products Business, Acer Inc. “These new Acer Chromebooks deliver the foundational technology that help students strive for success at school, while also ensuring teachers and administrators have a powerful device for class preparation and IT management.”

Chrome Education Upgrade, Zero-Touch Enrollment Maximize Learning

With Chrome Education upgrade, teachers and administrators can leverage the full capabilities of the Chromebook and Chrome OS to ensure students can focus on learning with a robust, secure device. In addition, IT departments can easily manage them with Zero-touch enrollment — to drop ship new Acer Chromebooks to their school sites that will automatically enrol as soon as the end-user connects to the internet.

Durable Design

All of the four new Chromebooks were built to withstand the challenges of a busy school environment, featuring impact-resistant chassis that meets MIL-STD 810H[[1]] standards. A shock-absorbent bumper and reinforced design protects them from drops as high 122 cm (48 ft) and withstands up to 60 kg (132.3 lbs) of pressure. The Chromebooks’ displays can also be opened a full 180 degrees, helping protect the devices when the screen is being handled, and a unique drainage system built into their keyboards helps protect internal components from accidental water spills[[2]].

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311, Acer Chromebook 512 and Acer Chromebook 511 also have mechanically anchored keys that are difficult for inquisitive students to remove, but at the same time, simple for IT personnel to repair or replace. Widened brackets and reinforced I/O ports further protect them from the wear and tear of frequent use.

Eco-Friendly Features Include OceanGlass Touchpad

A testament to Acer’s commitment to sustainability, all four of the new Chromebooks feature a unique environmentally friendly OceanGlass™ touchpad made entirely of abandoned ocean-bound plastic waste. Not only does the use of this waste contribute to the reduction of plastics adrift in the ocean, it also gives the touchpad a glass-like texture and responsive tactile feedback.

Additionally, three of the Chromebooks—the Acer Chromebook Spin 311, Acer Chromebook 512 and Acer Chromebook 511—integrate post-consumer recycled plastics into their chassis design to further exemplify Acer’s commitment to sustainability.

Pricing and Availability

The Acer Chromebook 512 (C852) will be available in North America in January starting at USD 349.99; and in EMEA in Q1 starting at EUR 359 and the UK for £329.

The Acer Chromebook 511 (C734/T) will be available in North America in February starting at USD 349.99; and in EMEA in February starting at EUR 329 and the UK for £299.

The Acer Chromebook 314 (C934/T) will be available in North America in 2H’22 starting at USD 429.99; and in EMEA in April starting at EUR 369 and the UK for £329.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (R722T) will be available in North America in March starting at USD 399.99; and in EMEA in Q1’22 starting at EUR 339 and the UK for £299.

Exact specifications, prices, and availability will vary by region. To learn more about availability, product specifications and prices in specific markets, please contact your nearest Acer office via www.acer.com.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE PROVIDES FREE TICKETS AND RESOURCES TO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AS PART OF THIS YEAR’S PLAYING SHAKESPEARE WITH DEUTSCHE BANK PRODUCTION OF MACBETH

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Directed by Sarah Frankcom, the 2022 Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production is Macbeth, A full-scale, gripping, 90-minute show in the Globe Theatre created specifically for young people. The Globe has already welcomed thousands of state school students into the theatre for free.

 

To coincide with this year’s performances, eligible schools will also receive free workshops for students, free CPD (continuing professional development) for teachers, and award-winning free online resources to support the teaching and studying of Shakespeare plays in the GCSE and A-Level curriculum. This year has already seen over 21,000 students receiving free tickets and over 200 teachers signing up for online and in-person CPD courses.

 

This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank project that providing over 20,000 free tickets for students aged 11-16 in state secondary schools in London and Birmingham. Productions exclusively for schools will run from 3 – 30 March 2022 and public performances from 19 March – 16 April 2022. Playing Shakespeare is supported by Deutsche Bank as part of Born to Be – a youth engagement programme which is committed to helping young people reach their full potential.

 

With thrilling action and chilling supernatural moments in Macbeth’s bloody journey from hero to tyrant, applications for free tickets for non-selective state schools in London and Birmingham, and subsidised tickets for other schools are now open and can be submitted here.

 

 

Director, Sarah Frankcom says: “I’m thrilled to be collaborating with such an exciting cast and creative team to reimagine Macbeth for younger audiences, part of the brilliant initiative ‘Playing Shakespeare’ supported by Deutsche Bank. As young people continue to ask big questions about their future, I can’t think of a better play to explore how personal ambition and the abuse of power can corrupt the individual and destroy nations”

 

Co-Director of Education, Lucy Cuthbertson says: “Macbeth represents our 16th consecutive Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production. This incredible project has given so many schools an invaluable way to bring Shakespeare alive for their students. A significant proportion of young people in this country rely entirely on their school for access to the arts. This unique financial support from Deutsche Bank allows us to offer over 20,000 free tickets to students from London & Birmingham state schools and to play our small part in enabling all students to experience a culture rich education. Young people experiencing Shakespeare and, often, theatre for the first time deserve the best so we are absolutely delighted to welcome Sarah Frankcom as this year’s director.”

 

Lareena Hilton, Global Head of Brand Communications & CSR at Deutsche Bank says: “For 16 years Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank has been an integral part of our global youth engagement programme Born to Be. With all GCSE students in the UK required to study at least one of Shakespeare’s text, it’s critical for young people to be able to get to grips with the complex language, characters and themes. To come out of the classroom and be fully immersed in live theatre at the Globe offers students opportunity to experience performances the way Shakespeare wrote his plays for.”

FOUR IN TEN TEACHERS PLAN TO CUT THEIR TEACHING HOURS IN NEXT TWO YEARS

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  • Four in ten (38%) teachers plan on changing their working hours in the next two years – with one in 12 (8%) leaving teaching entirely
  • Almost a third (29%) of women teachers said they planned to step back from the classroom

 

Four in ten teachers (38%) plan to change their working hours in the next two years, according to new research by specialist financial services mutual Wesleyan.

After a challenging two years for the profession, the study found that female teachers were most eager to make a change with 29% planning on stepping back from the classroom either by taking parental leave (11%), reducing their hours (9%) or leaving the profession altogether (8%).

Worryingly, the research also revealed that many don’t understand how making these changes will affect their pension pot and retirement plans. More than four in ten (41%) don’t understand the impact reducing hours could have on their pension and 40% have not planned for this change financially.

Of those planning to change their working patterns, fewer than a fifth of women (18%) have made plans for their finances to help them cover day-to-day living expenses and longer-term financial goals such as retirement.

In contrast, over a quarter of men (26%) planning to adjust their working hours have made plans for both the short and long term.

Linda Wallace, Director of Financial Services at Wesleyan, said: “After the stresses of the past two years, it’s understandable why so many teachers are reassessing their work-life balance and well-being needs.

“But deciding to change how you work isn’t an easy decision – it’s important that it goes hand in hand with careful financial planning. As well as the immediate cost of living challenges to consider, it’s important to think long-term too, particularly when it comes to pensions and retirement planning.

“We know there is already a gap between men and women when it comes to their teachers’ pension, and changes to working patterns can exacerbate this. Setting goals now and carefully planning for the future is critical to ensuring your finances will see you through to a comfortable retirement.”

Improving student engagement with active learning

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Giancarlo Brotto, Global Education Advisor at SMART Technologies

One of the biggest struggles teachers have faced since the start of the pandemic is ensuring they remain connected with their students. Irrespective of where lessons are held – whether online from a kitchen table, or in a traditional classroom – forging relationships with pupils is key to ensuring teachers stay on top of their student’s academics and wellbeing, providing total support to students. Key to this is engagement which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, was badly affected. 

A study from June 2020 from the National Foundation for Educational Research, which assessed pupil engagement in the earlier stages of the pandemic, found that only 42% of pupils had returned the last piece of set work given at the time of research, with 90% of teachers claiming their pupils were doing much less work than they would usually at that time of year. 

For the two years that followed that aforementioned report, teachers worked tirelessly to ensure students continued to feel engaged, particularly around social emotional learning (SEL), math and literacy. 

Developing students in these three areas has always been core to the UK curriculum, but the ability of teachers to do so while navigating the challenges of a pandemic and remote learning brought a myriad of challenges to educators. As a result, active learning and blended learning became an increasingly popular method of ensuring pupils remained engaged.

Active learning is what its name implies. It is an approach that helps learners store new information into long-term memory and helps learners develop a conceptual understanding of the material. Research has identified several benefits of active learning for students. It improves critical thinking, increases retention of new information, improves transfer of new information and promotes higher-order thinking skills. 

Applying active learning to the curriculum

We looked into the benefits of active learning in SEL, math and literacy in a whitepaper on how to keep pupils engaged, and found common benefits across each subject area. For literacy skill development, we found that peer-to-peer and small group work benefited young children greatly, allowing pupils to collaborate and share ideas, connect with prior knowledge, and think critically about their reading. Meanwhile student-directed learning, whereby students drive their own learning and are given time for self-reflection, can significantly boost reading skills, stamina and fluency.

Elsewhere for maths, three core active learning approaches have proved successful in improving students’ understanding of basic math, including hands-on learning such as geoboards, tangrams, pattern blocks and money. As humans, we only have a limited capacity to process new information at any given time, so creating multiple opportunities for learners to spend time being active through a variety of hands-on learning allows pupils to activate their brain and to transfer new knowledge into long-term memory. Similarly, encouraging students to actively engage with content improves their acquisition of basic math skills which, when combined with a range of games, puzzles and playful experiences, can enhance their confidence in the subject.

Finally, for SEL, students who were given choices in how they learn and show what they know report higher levels of self-efficacy and positive autonomy. Likewise, students that interact with content in small groups through physical and virtual learning stations develop a deeper understanding of the content, while relationship building activities and games that ease classroom tensions support the development of advanced social skills and resiliency. 

Throughout the pandemic, technology has allowed teachers to apply these active learning principles. Lumio, SMART Technologies’ digital learning tool, for instance, allowed educators to easily transition between the classroom and remote learning, to make new learning situations easier for students and teachers. Lumio, along with other educational technologies, allowed teachers to be creative with their active learning methods and, crucially, to adapt their teaching process as and when circumstances changes throughout the pandemic. 

Crucially, Lumio supports with boosting engagement by supporting the ways in which pupils learn, by improving perception, attention and memory through its range of templates and features. 

Active learning places students at the centre of their education. It’s a simple shift that can produce dramatic results. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that, despite whatever challenges are thrown at teachers, this teaching method can continue in the classroom or virtually. 

Classroom learning with Wacom pen tablets

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Meet Wacom and the global education technology community at Bett UK and discover how Wacom pen tablets and pen displays boost digital classroom collaboration and facilitate STEAM lessons.

Wacom, the pioneer and leader in digital pen technology, is coming to Bett UK to show how Wacom’s digital education solutions complement the set-up of classrooms and auditoriums and enable new ways of learning and teaching from K12 to higher education. Join Wacom at stand SB30 to talk to Wacom experts and learn how simple and effective working, teaching and learning with the digital pen is.

Bett UK
23-25 March 2022
Stand SB30
ExCel London

 

Digital classroom collaboration powered by the pen

To show how digital pen displays support the teaching of STEAM subjects, Wacom together with Canopy Education are hosting a presentation about “Classroom learning with Wacom pen tablets” on the Tech in Action stage. In this session on Thursday, 24 March, 11:30-11:50, educators from K12 and further education will demonstrate how the use of Wacom pen tablets in the classroom increases student engagement and makes daily teaching more efficient.

Check the Bett UK agenda here for more information about the speakers and details of this talk. Find out more about the event itself and how to register on the Bett UK event page. And for more information about Wacom, its products and education solutions including case studies and special offers, please check these dedicated Wacom for Education pages.

Konica Minolta’s Intelligent Video Solutions and 3600 cameras provide The Sweyne Park School with a surveillance system that evolves with its needs

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London, UK, 16 March 2022

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd today announces that its Intelligent Video Solutions (IVS) and MOBOTIX c26 3600 cameras are protecting pupils, staff, and property at The Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh, Essex. The highly accurate and comprehensive 3600 vision capability has enabled the school to reduce a number of analogue cameras (and the associated costs and resources required to operate them), whilst also enhancing the quality to 4K resolution.   

 

The solution has also provided The Sweyne Park School with the flexibility to install the equipment themselves, without expensive third-party subcontractors. Dan Joslin, Network Manager at The Sweyne Park School commented, “It’s so easy to install that we can now fit and configure additional cameras within 20 minutes. The quality of the images returned are second to none, providing clarity that is above and beyond what our previous solution would provide. In addition to the 3600 viewing, the solution provides comfort that there won’t be any blackspots in viewing, providing 24/7 security for everyone within the school grounds.” 

 

The school is using the solution to survey the corridors, dining rooms and vulnerable areas. Konica Minolta’s IVS and cameras also deliver unrivalled levels of cyber security with powerful inbuilt and constantly up-to-date end-to-end cyber protection against hacker attacks – at no extra cost. This market-leading technology robustly protects the wider IT systems of the school, along with the paramount safety of pupils and staff. 

 

Producing exceptionally high-quality images, even in low light, the Konica Minolta interior cameras are mounted flush to the ceiling and utilise cloud-based technology. They also feature built in and highly secured and encrypted Digital Video Recording (DVR) management technology. A MicroSD card is fitted into the camera as backup storage which continues to capture video recordings should the external network connection or recording fail for any reason. Upon reconnection, the camera re-syncs the recordings with the central cloud-based storage.

 

Highly cost-effective and simple to scale to any network size, Konica Minolta IVS solutions make it easy to add more cameras and any required additional storage. No dedicated servers, recording or software licences are needed, saving time and money both upon the purchase of the system and during its lifetime. This low maintenance solution is perfect for any location, having been built to withstand all weather conditions and temperatures, without requiring any additional housing or protection.

 

Additionally, The IVS solution has the capability to use audio to broadcast messages, alerts, and pre-recorded files to support the management of the school. This will form part of the implementation of a programme of pre-recorded lockdown security drills, with audio files providing guidance for pupils around fire safety, crowd management, and general safety. 

 

Gary Fletcher-Moore, Head of Sales – Intelligent Video Solutions at Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd at Konica Minolta also commented, “Our solution is intelligent and can expand virtually without limits, ensuring long term investment and security for The Sweyne Park School. Software updates are available via a free download, ensuring the solution can be updated and enhanced as the requirements of the school and its daily operations evolve, making this a fully future-proof solution.”

 

For more details on The Sweyne Park School please visit: www.sweynepark.com

 

For further details on Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd and its range of IVS and cameras please visit: www.konicaminolta.co.uk/en-gb/solutions/it-services/intelligent-video-solutions

 

CRB Cunninghams launches virtual parent-school messaging tool

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Simplifying school-parent communications

 

15th March 2022 – Birmingham UK: CRB Cunninghams, cashless catering, online payment, and identity management solutions provider to education establishments in the UK, has launched a virtual messaging solution for schools and parents; iPayimpact Communications, combining online payments, cashless software, and virtual communications from one solution.

 

Introducing iPayimpact Communications

Many schools worldwide currently communicate with parents and guardians manually, typically through email and phone calls. CRB Cunninghams sought to develop a new module within their iPayimpact online payment system to enable establishments to switch to a modern parent-school communication experience.

Built within CRB Cunningham’s iPayimpact online payment system, iPayimpact Communications enables schools to keep parents in the loop with messages, notifications and reminders sent in a few clicks, minimising the need to send paper-based communications and wait for lengthy responses.

Thomasina Ward, Managing Director at CRB Cunninghams, said:

“Over the past few years, there has been a significant transition in the number of schools incorporating cashless and contactless systems for purposes including pre-ordering school meals and paying for school trips.

Despite these advancements, many schools still rely on traditional parent communication methods. Therefore, we sought to develop a virtual solution that would automate everyday time-consuming tasks which have become integrated into school admin processes, enabling schools to simplify and improve parental engagement.”

With iPayimpact Communications, schools can:

  • Offer one shared inbox for the whole team
  • Send messages based on funds, groups, years and classes
  • Staff can send one-way messages or accept parent replies
  • Encourage parents to initiate conversations with the school

Online payments, cashless and communications
With over 1,000 UK schools utilising CRB Cunningham’s iPayimpact online payment system and over 1 million cashless payments made through the software per year, schools have used iPayimpact to switch to cashless operations and offer modern payment transactions for parents and guardians.

The addition of iPayimpact Communications enables schools to contact parents on a mass or individual scale virtually, from trip updates to funding notifications and important reminders. Parent communication solutions like iPayimpact Communications eliminates the need for schools to search and locate parent contact details, with all the relevant information accessible in one place.

Learn more about iPayimpact Communications.

To learn more about CRB Cunninghams, visit the CRB Cunninghams website.