The Impact of Generative AI in New Zealand Schools

The Impact of Generative AI in New Zealand Schools

By Danny Bedingfield

Kia ora koutou, 

I am Danny Bedingfield, an AI in Education expert and a passionate advocate for using digital tools to enhance teaching and learning. I am a Wellington based Digital Skills Facilitator working for Cyclone. In this article, I want to share with you some of my thoughts on the impact of generative AI on schools in Aotearoa over the last 18 months. 

Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can produce text, images, audio, or video based on a given input, such as a keyword, a prompt, or some data. One of the most powerful and popular examples of generative AI is Chat GPT, which released on November 30, 2022. Chat GPT is a chatbot that can generate realistic and coherent conversations on any topic, using natural language processing and deep learning. 

Chat GPT has been widely used by students and teachers for various purposes, such as learning new languages, exploring different perspectives, creating stories and having fun. However, it has also raised concerns and challenges, especially around academic integrity, privacy and ethical use. 

One of the main concerns is that students may use AI to cheat on assignments, tests, or exams, by generating text that is not their own work. This could undermine the validity and reliability of assessment and compromise the learning outcomes of students. Teachers need to be aware of the potential for cheating and use appropriate detection tools and methods to prevent and address it. 

Another concern is that Generative AI may collect and store personal information from users, such as their names, locations, preferences, opinions, or emotions. This could pose a risk to the privacy and security of users, especially if the data is shared or accessed by third parties without consent. Users need to be informed of the data collection and usage policies of Chat GPT and exercise caution when providing sensitive or personal information.

At the time of writing Microsoft’s Copilot and soon Google’s Gemini offer a data protection with a licence that keeps prompt information private. These licences are currently funded by the Ministry of Education, therefore making them easily accessible to Kura in Aotearoa. 

A third concern is that AI may generate content that is inappropriate, inaccurate, misleading, or harmful, such as hate speech, propaganda, misinformation or abuse. This could affect the well-being and safety of users, as well as influence their attitudes and beliefs. Users need to be critical and responsible when using AI and report any problematic content or behaviour. 

To address these concerns, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has issued guidelines and recommendations for using generative AI in education, such as: 

– Obtaining consent from students and parents before using Chat GPT or similar tools in the classroom or for homework. 

– Educating students and teachers about the risks and benefits of Generative AI and how to use it safely and ethically. 

– Establishing clear rules and expectations for using AI and enforcing consequences for misuse or abuse. 

– Monitoring and reviewing the content and quality of AI and providing feedback and support to users. 

Similarly, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) has advised teachers to become familiar with generative AI and how to recognise it better. NZQA has also provided tips and resources for ensuring academic integrity and preventing plagiarism, such as: 

  • Designing authentic and meaningful assessments that require higher order thinking and creativity. 
  • Using plagiarism detection software and tools to check the originality and sources of student work. 
  • Encouraging students to cite and reference their sources properly and acknowledge their use of Chat GPT or similar tools. 
  • Developing a culture of honesty and trust among students and teachers and promoting the values and skills of digital citizenship. 

I personally love the idea of the AI Traffic light system for use with secondary students. A “red” assignment means students may not use AI at all, “yellow” means students may use certain AI tools for specific tasks related to the assignment and “green” means that students may use AI tools freely for any aspect of the assignment.  

Despite the challenges and concerns, generative AI can also have a positive impact on schools in Aotearoa, if used safely and ethically. It can be a huge timesaver for teachers in planning and preparing resources as well as a powerful tool for enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes. It can also foster innovation and collaboration among students and teachers, creating diversity and inclusion in education. 

Therefore, I believe that teachers should be guided by an AI policy in their school that gives them guidance on what they can and cannot use generative AI for and how to use it effectively and appropriately. Such a policy should be aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum, the Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Netsafe have produced a template that schools can use. Also, the Victorian Education Department have produced excellent guidance for Victorian Schools in Australia. 

I hope this article has given you some insights and ideas on the impact of generative AI on schools in Aotearoa. If you are interested in finding out more contact me at the email below. 

Ngā mihi nui, 

Danny Bedingfield 

Danny.Bedingfield@Cyclone.co.nz  


written by our very own

Danny Bedingfield

Danny Bedingfield is an experienced educator with over 20 years in both academic and corporate settings. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Innovative Educator Expert, proficient in Microsoft 365, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams. Danny is also a Google Certified Trainer and Coach and an Adobe Level 2 Educator skilled in Creative Cloud, Premiere Pro and InDesign.

He is passionate about creating inclusive learning environments and has designed workshops endorsed by the Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand. Danny is also exploring Generative AI and its applications.

Outside of education, Danny enjoys music and videography, often using drones for aerial footage and editing with Adobe tools. He believes in making learning engaging and hands-on.


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eduTech 22. Reflections from a fantastic few days.

By Aaron Overington

eduTech 22 in review

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eduTech 22 in review

I recently returned from the eduTech 2022 conference in Melbourne where I, along with over 11,000 other people, enjoyed networking and listening to a range of great speakers including a number from Aotearoa. There was a lot of reflection of the pandemic and the way it has driven change across not only education, but the whole world. 

As Richard Culatta, CEO of ISTE said in his opening keynote, 2020 was all about emergency remote learning, not necessarily effective learning. And this was a repeated theme across a number of presentations. We now need to embrace the ‘new norm’ of hybrid learning, take forward skills and pedagogy changes that worked, and leave behind those that didn’t (including practices pre-COVID that may not work well now). 

We need to re-look at the tools that were in use during the last two years and ensure they meet minimum security and student safety standards. So often well-meaning teachers found a new online tool to support their class during the peak of the pandemic and used it to fill a gap. These are often free, full of ads, and send PII data to offshore servers in places like Eastern Europe where privacy may not be a high priority. Or worse, open unforeseen security holes in the school network to allow unauthorized access. 

State and State Integrated schools in New Zealand have free access to both Google Workspace Plus and Microsoft 365, something many Australian educators I spoke with are envious of. Schools need to continue leveraging Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams to support hybrid learning and use classroom technology such as the Jabra Panacast 50 to provide equitable access to students regardless of their geographic location for learning. During the lockdowns, schools used these tools to varying degrees of success and depth. Now is not the time to revert to the ways of teaching pre-2020 and put these toolsets on the shelf. 

Modern management of both school-owned and BYOD devices came up in various conversations, as a simple way to deliver learning ready devices to ākonga at home or school. Schools have realized that old ways of supporting devices don’t work effectively anymore; manually preparing them for teaching and learning, using a gold Windows image, or just leaving students & teachers to add in the tools they need to succeed in the classroom. It just isn’t practical anymore. And again, the platforms from Google and Microsoft to enable this are free to State and State Integrated schools in Aotearoa. Cyclone have delivered many modern management projects over the last few years to support schools adapt and save time & money. 

One interesting topic I found was the lack of desire from several vendors to introduce recyclable packaging and build devices in a more sustainable way. In fact, I had a couple state that in Australia it wasn’t a high priority! This is in stark contrast to here where schools are demanding, and rightly so, to have products in packaging that is planet friendly. We work hard with all our business partners to remove plastic and non-recyclable materials from their products before they arrive in country. And we promote the full lifecycle of device management to reduce cost and recycle or upcycle devices at the end of their life. 

Two years of adaptive practises have left their indelible mark on all of us and will shape the future of education for years to come. What we learn from this period of flux and embed in everyday practise will define the next generation. Technology can bring students closer together and allow them to create content collaboratively. We need to be moving away from the all-too-common content consumption model to one of content creation and allow this collaborative change to organically grow, with appropriate student-safety scaffolding in place. Then we will be preparing life-ready students that are engaged in learning and have the skills to thrive in the communities they live in. 

One of my favourite quotes is from Maya Angelou and seems to be highly relevant to the past couple of years of pandemic and emergency remote learning: 

‘I did then what I knew how to do.  Now that I know better, I do better.’ 

So I ask you – now that you know better, how are you going to do better? 

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Aaron Overington
written by our very own

Aaron Overington

Aaron is an IT management veteran with over 20 years experience under his belt, but his passion for technology started even further back in the early days of desktop computing with the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga and the BBC Micro.

Aaron is a key part of the Cyclone team and works as our K-12 Education Strategist we simply know him as a trusted advisor and a safe pair of hands. Aaron takes the time to understand the demands and needs of NZ businesses and schools before developing tailored solutions.


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Minecraft in the Classroom

By Sam Harris

The transformational power of Minecraft in the classroom

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How using Minecraft in the classroom opened my eyes to the transformational power of education technology 

Every person in the world understands the ah-ha moment, but teachers know it better than most. It is that feeling when, suddenly, things just click. The unknown becomes known. The opaque becomes clear. It is a wonderful feeling and as teachers we are privileged to see it happen often. What is particularly powerful, is when this ah-ha moment comes as a result of trying something new. Be it a new pedagogical approach, a new piece of technology or a new behaviour management strategy, when something works for a student, and you can see their face light up as they begin to perceive things in a whole new way then we know we are doing our jobs and doing them well!

In the summer of 2018, one of my students had an ah-ha moment that changed they way I viewed the role of technology in education. The impact that this had on me was profound. Not only did this change my day-to-day teaching practice, but it led to a passion for digital technologies in the classroom that has ultimately changed the direction of my career.

Let me give you some background…

During a long and hot term four, I was teaching History and Social Studies at a large and diverse South Auckland School. Although we were on the tail end of the year and things really should have been winding down, I had a particularly energetic class of Year 9’s that I needed to keep occupied.

At the beginning of the term, a brand-new student (let’s call him Luka) was placed into my class. Despite the diversity of the school, I had never had any experience teaching a student such as Luka before. Luka was from Eastern Europe and spoke almost no English. Although he was an outgoing kid, Luka had experienced some tough things in his life and these experiences made connecting with him even more challenging. Managing Luka’s behaviour in class was difficult. The communication barrier between myself and the rest of the class left him frustrated and like anyone, this led to disengagement with tasks and distracting behaviours. Challenged constantly with reading, writing and speaking English all day, attempting to get Luka to do any sort of classwork was very difficult.

Since we had finished up most of our assessment for the year, I decided to try something new and fun to try and keep my students engaged for the remainder of the school year. The kids kept asking me to play games, and as I had completed a day of Minecraft Education Edition PLD earlier in the year, I figured I would give it a go with the class. I had barely played Minecraft and still wasn’t sure how it could be used to foster good learning, but I figured this was a low stakes opportunity to try it out.

I presented the students with a project surrounding landmarks. Students were to work individually or in groups to research a different landmark from around the world, produce a brief report about the significance of this landmark to different groups of people and finally recreate this landmark using Minecraft Education.

As I began to hand out instructions for this task to introduce the class to this project, I remember Luka didn’t even pick it up. The handout lay on his desk untouched, Luka gazing out the back windows of the class – until I said the word Minecraft. Although Luka probably didn’t understand most of my instructions, his demeanour changed completely.

Over the course of the project, Luka went from disengaged and frustrated to motivated and enthusiastic. Unwittingly on my part, Minecraft was a game that he had played as a kid in Europe and the familiarity with this tool meant he felt both confident and comfortable with what he was doing. Rather than being frustrated by the language barrier between us, Luka started trying to understand things with a greater sense of motivation. He began actively using apps to translate instructions and to communicate with me and his classmates.

It was not simply the fact that Luka was confident in using Minecraft, but it was also the nature of the task itself that changed his attitude towards his learning. Luka chose to do his project on the Church of Saint Sava, a landmark in Serbia that he connected with back in his homeland. Using Minecraft, Luka was able to communicate with myself and the rest of the class something about him, his family and his history in a way that transcended the use of written or oral language. Rather than tell us about this place that was significant to him, Luka was able to recreate it in a virtual world and provide others in the class the opportunity to explore it.

Luka’s Minecraft build was outstanding. Despite being challenged, he was able to communicate about the significance of his landmark to himself and to others. His project was a drastic improvement in both output and quality of the classwork that Luka had attempted for me previously.

This was my ah-ha moment. Digital technology such as Minecraft allows us to transform teaching and learning experiences for students. Not only did the use of this game make this project more engaging for this student, but it made it personal, collaborative and accessible. Like many teachers, when I used this piece of technology with my class I only really did so because I thought it would make my lessons more enjoyable – but in thinking this way, we limit our ability to understand how technology can be used to improve almost all aspects of a student’s learning experience. Technology transcends almost all physical barriers. Language, disability, distance, even personal interest – when used effectively, all these barriers can be levelled using digital tech.

If you are keen to learn more about how you can start using Minecraft: Education Edition or any other Microsoft tools that can make learning experiences more accessible for students, feel free to get in touch with me via Twitter, LinkedIn or at sam.harris@cyclone.co.nz

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written by our very own

Sam Harris

Sam is a registered secondary teacher, who has worked in schools as a teacher in charge of History as well as an Across School Teacher within a Kāhui Ako (community of learning). In these roles, Sam has worked extensively with teachers on their use of digital technologies in the classroom and has worked collaboratively to establish localised teaching and learning opportunities that are connected and relevant to students lives.

Sam has a postgraduate qualification in digital and collaborative learning and has been a Microsoft Innovative Expert Educator (MIEE). Sam is passionate about curriculum design and is particularly excited about the role that digital technologies can play in transforming teaching and learning experiences through the New Zealand Curriculum refresh and coming NCEA changes. Below are some of the areas that he can help support within your school:

Office 365 for education
Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum
Senior Social Sciences curriculum development - History
Digital Technologies: Hangarau Matihiko
Digital fluency across the curriculum
New Zealand Curriculum Refresh & NCEA Changes
Middle Leadership mentoring and coaching
Working across Kāhui Ako (Communities of Learning)


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A tale of two lockdowns

By Aaron Overington

A Tale of Two Lockdowns

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A Tale of Two Lockdowns

As we head into the final school term of the year, I have been reflecting on how schools I have been involved with have approached and tackled teaching and learning during lockdowns. And how they have managed their core ICT systems during this time to enable the teaching & learning to occur. 

In 2020 I was the IT and Digital Learning Manager for a global independent school. We had spent the last year or so transforming to a serverless school, with all platforms operating in a SaaS model. Legacy ways of thinking and operating were set aside, and the possibilities that Modern Management offered were embraced. All endpoints were Microsoft Windows 10 Professional and being effectively managed through Microsoft Endpoint Manager. The school was already using Canvas for its Learning Management System, and Zoom to teach a large number of classes to Years 7-13 nationwide and in Argentina. With the assignment loaded at the start of the year, and weekly course work loaded upfront, students were able to work through at their pace. Teachers used an interesting timetable that had 1 period for tutorials, 1 for coaching & mentoring and 1 for the students to work independently. This meant students could work ahead if they were confident in the material, and get 2 periods of teacher support if needed. They operated a 1:1 device program for Years 7-13, with 1:2 ratio in the junior school. When the first lockdown hit  early 2020, the school just carried on, albeit from residential homes. The spare devices held onsite were issued to the junior school so almost all students had a device for their sole use. 

Because all devices were being managed by Endpoint Manager, we were able to ensure they were secure, safe, and kept up to date throughout lockdown. New applications and browser shortcuts were pushed out by IT as needed by teaching staff almost real-time. Teaching and Learning barely missed a beat. If a replacement device was needed, it arrived already loaded with the latest applications, bookmarks, and settings, and OneDrive was logged in and waiting with the users work. All thanks to Modern Management powered by Microsoft 365. 

Fast forward to 2021. I am now working for Cyclone Computers and supporting a number of schools. Most are managing their devices using legacy on-premise tools such as Group Policy, WSUS and imaging servers. A few are not even doing that. Teaching is largely done how it has always been done, with text books, and a teacher at the front of the class lecturing to students. Some use of online tools has increased since the 2020 lockdowns, but old habits are hard to break. Its comfortable for teachers to go back to how they were trained, rows of students facing front and being fed content to regurgitate in a summative assessment. 

When lockdown arrives, there is the expected rush to prepare hard-copy content for those without a device, and to wedge content into the nearest online platform. Teachers are now having to (re)learn how to connect with students online, that may or may not be engaged. Content is static at best. Some schools adapt a relaxed approach to learning, others try to stick to the same timetable as pre-lockdown.  Devices have a mix of versions of operating system (and as a result features), outdated applications, and getting new apps onto them is problematic at best. Worse, patches are not being applied as the devices cant see the on-premise update servers, and legacy policies block the user from manually getting them. For some, work is locked away on servers on campus, unable to be accessed from home. They have to recreate documents and save them on their local drives. When the inevitable ‘coke-on-the-keyboard’ happens, all their work is lost, nothing is saved online in OneDrive or Google Drive. Get a new device, start from scratch installing applications manually and then re-doing work that was on their Desktop. 

Digital equity aside, all of the technical challenges we are seeing lockdown after lockdown can be avoided by using modern device management platforms to effectively and securely manage the schools fleet. The three main operating systems have a preferred MDM; Microsoft Endpoint Manager for Windows, Jamf for Apple devices, Google Workspace for Education for Chromebooks. Shifting to modern device management can and does make sense (and cents!) for schools. It directly impacts on teaching and learning outcomes in a positive way, improves device security, and opens up new opportunities to teach and learn from anywhere, anytime, on any device. 

If you identify opportunities for improvement, talk to us. We can support you with PLD, technical reviews & advice, and walk with you on the journey.  

So, where shall we go today? 

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Aaron Overington
written by our very own

Aaron Overington

Aaron is an IT management veteran with over 20 years experience under his belt, but his passion for technology started even further back in the early days of desktop computing with the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga and the BBC Micro.

Aaron is a key part of the Cyclone team and works as one of our Technical Account Managers, we simply know him as a trusted advisor and a safe pair of hands. Aaron takes the time to understand the demands and needs of NZ businesses and schools before developing tailored solutions.


connect with aaron on linkedin

Cybersecurity NZ

Not if, but when. Ransomware on the rise.

Schools

Make your organisation cyber resilient.

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Protecting your organisation starts with protecting your data.

Ransomware. It wasn’t that long ago that it was a thing that happened to other people, often the big corporates, the blue chips in America. But not us in little old New Zealand/Aotearoa. We would occasionally hear it mentioned on the news in passing, or on page 10 of the paper. Leap forward to 2021, the year of COVID-19, of lockdowns and the now ubiquitous phrase ‘you are on mute’. The number of attacks made public on local organisations has increased. The biggest single target being the Waikato DHB. They estimate it taking another 2 years before they are back to where they were. 

And at the start of July international software company Kaseya had their remote management tools hijacked to deliver ransomware to unsuspecting victims. This new development is concerning, because the end users did not do anything wrong, nor did the support organisations. 

So what can we learn from these high-profile attacks, and what steps can we take to reduce the risk you are next? The number one thing to do if you haven’t already is to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all system administrators at a minimum, and preferably all staff. If you have a software platform that doesn’t support MFA you need to be asking questions of the vendor. If you have the choice of methods, using an app on your phone is top of the list, followed by a third party rotating key token (banks often use these). The worst options are receiving an email or text message – neither of these two options are secure. 

Ensure you are backing up your data. This includes Office365 and Google Workplace content. Not all backups are created equal though. Your backups should be going to an offsite location, retained for at least 60 days, and tested. It is no good making a copy of everything to a local hard drive if there is a fire! And no good backing things up if you cannot restore it. In the ideal world backup systems would be air-gapped from the source, and write permissions only allowed to the backup solution. These backups should be monitored and any anomalies investigated. Its common for attackers to quietly infect a system, then wait a month or more for all backups to also be infected before attacking. Look for larger than usual backup sizes, and odd looking content. Artificial Intelligence (AI) bots exist that can do this for you. For those with on-premise servers, ensure your DNS and Active Directory are included in the backups, and ideally locked away separately in a vault (software or physical) so you can quickly recover your infrastructure. 

Review who has access to what. You shouldn’t have more than three super-admins/global admins in any system, and these should be protected with MFA. Also review who has remote access into your systems, either using a VPN or some other method. Separate out the different administrative roles so breaching one account will not open the floodgates. 

Microsoft have a global threat activity website that shows cyber-threat activity for the last 30 days. Disturbingly education makes up of 60% of all recent encounters. 

Cyberthreats, viruses, and malware – Microsoft Security Intelligence 

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Aaron Overington
written by our very own

Aaron Overington

Aaron is an IT management veteran with over 20 years experience under his belt, but his passion for technology started even further back in the early days of desktop computing with the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga and the BBC Micro.

Aaron is a key part of the Cyclone team and works as one of our Technical Account Managers, we simply know him as a trusted advisor and a safe pair of hands. Aaron takes the time to understand the demands and needs of NZ businesses and schools before developing tailored solutions.


connect with aaron on linkedin

It’s ugly out there, people. Good security starts with you.

Schools

Avoid the hook.

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Staying secure in the modern world

Halfway through the 2021 academic year, and we are still hearing of phishing attacks on schools at all levels throughout Aotearoa. There was a time were only the big global companies were targeted by these attacks. The recent attack on the Waikato DHB should be, and has been, a wake-up call for all organisations. One thing that strikes me when visiting schools is the lack of awareness posters up on the walls. Nothing in the staff room, nothing in the hallways, nothing in the learning spaces. 

For me this is concerning. Most if not all schools have some form of a Digital Citizenship programme they run for students. Part of being a good digital citizen is knowing how to keep safe online. Being able to identify a phishing email, learning to not download an application from a random Internet site, or clicking on links in instant messages is central to this (ISTE standard 2B for students relates directly to this very point). 

The risks that these types of attacks can introduce can be broadly categorised into one of two buckets; ransomware , where all your files are encrypted and you cannot access them without paying the hijackers, and theft where either your data is stolen to be sold on the dark web, or you are tricked into paying phoney invoices.  

Ransomware attacks are growing. Imagine being at the end of a school year, your students have worked hard all year on assignments, and suddenly they are no longer available for final grading or revision for external exams.  

Arguably worse than a ransomware attack is the theft of data. Schools hold a large amount of personally identifiable information (PII) about staff and students, from home addresses to medical information.  All this information holds a value, whether for identity theft, online bully or worse. 

Being tricked into sending school funds to bad actors is still a very real risk, despite years of publicity around the tricks used. A request to purchase 100 iTunes cards for example, or a request from the ‘principal’ to urgently pay the attached invoice should set off alarm bells. The sad reality is it doesn’t always. 

We live in an always-on world, connected across multiple online platforms. The ease in which we share content and connect to friends and colleagues has exploded in the last 5 years. Unfortunately this connectedness allows the attackers to understand the hierarchy at a school, the movements of staff and tailor their messaging accordingly. And because so many transactions are now done online, seeing an email from your favourite online store offering a special deal is accepted with glee, not scepticism.  

Awareness of how to identify a phishing or bogus email can reduce the chances of a user falling for it and introducing an external threat. Better still, awareness and on-going training and assessment that is targeted to the whole school community. The cost to implement these steps starts at $0.  

Ask yourself, what is the financial and reputational cost to do nothing and be compromised?  

Aaron Overington
written by our very own

Aaron Overington

Aaron is an IT management veteran with over 20 years experience under his belt, but his passion for technology started even further back in the early days of desktop computing with the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga and the BBC Micro.

Aaron is a key part of the Cyclone team and works as one of our Technical Account Managers, we simply know him as a trusted advisor and a safe pair of hands. Aaron takes the time to understand the demands and needs of NZ businesses and schools before developing tailored solutions.


connect with aaron on linkedin

Our Top 6 Security Recommendations

Schools

Meet the security challenge with eyes wide open.

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Staying secure in the modern world

The recent hack of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matau (RBNZ) highlights that even central governments struggle with cyber security. Cyber crime is on the rise, and COVID-19 has provided a rich array of new opportunities for the criminal world. There are a number of things that you can do to mitigate some of the risks, and become a harder target. 

Here are our top six security recommendations that every individual and organisation should be adopting. 

  1. Always keep the system software updated. This is the software on your laptop, tablet and phone as well as any network equipment such as routers and modems. The breach at the RBNZ was due to outdated software on a network appliance that they had not maintained and patched. The bad agents used a flaw in the software to gain access. Had they kept this updated they may not have been breached. 
  2. Use Anti-virus software. And keep it updated. There are almost daily updates to most AV products to keep you safe and secure. No operating system is immune to virus attacks, and contrary to popular belief there are now more viruses and malware for MacOS than Windows. 
  3. Use disk encryption. Encrypting your hard drives and USB drives will render them useless if they are lost or stolen. The contents are unreadable if someone trys to access without first decrypting. Both Windows 10 Pro and MacOS have built-in support for drive encryption and it is a very simple process to turn on. We hope that the devices stolen from Capitol Hill in January were encrypted!
  4. Use MFA. Using multifactor authentication provides an additional layer of protection to your accounts. Most applications now support the use of MFA (sometimes called 2FA) and a mobile app. It is a simple yet effective way to add extra security to your applications as without it attackers cannot access a system, even with your username and password. TIP: DO NOT use SMS/Text as a secondary authentication method. It is easy for someone to spoof your mobile number and intercept a message. 
  5. Run Phishing simulations and training. The easiest way for someone to get into your systems is if they know your username and password. It is very easy for someone to craft an email purporting to be from a trusted persons or company, and tricking you into handing over your credentials. There are a number of tools available to run these simulations and to block phishing emails. 
  6. Use Data loss prevention policies. Both Office365 and G Suite have policies available with all subscriptions. The key is to really know your data; where it is, who should have access, and how sensitive it is. Then you can easily develop policies to prevent your data from leaving your environment without your knowledge. 

Talk to us today about how we can support you to secure your environment using these and other tools. 

Aaron Overington
written by our very own

Aaron Overington

Aaron is an IT management veteran with over 20 years experience under his belt, but his passion for technology started even further back in the early days of desktop computing with the ZX Spectrum, the Amiga and the BBC Micro.

Aaron is a key part of the Cyclone team and works as one of our Technical Account Managers, we simply know him as a trusted advisor and a safe pair of hands. Aaron takes the time to understand the demands and needs of NZ businesses and schools before developing tailored solutions.


connect with aaron on linkedin

Protecting your data

Protecting Your Organisations Data

Schools

How much is your data worth and can you protect it?

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Protecting your valuable data

Data is a valuable currency and the ultimate goal for cybercriminals. If you own an organisation’s data and intellectual property, you can bring the business to its knees. By breaching the company’s defences and locking up its data, cybercriminals can exploit businesses for a hefty ransom to retrieve their data and avoid the financial and reputational damage that goes along with being breached.

It’s not only businesses that are at risk of financial exploitation. An individual employee’s identity alone is valued at around US$1,200[1]. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg considering that a successful cyberattack could result in:

  • Appropriation of resources: cybercriminals often use vulnerabilities in the network to infiltrate systems and use information that can be repurposed to create things of value, such as scams. By co-opting organisational data, such as internal email signatures, cyberattackers can create phishing emails to exploit other victims using your organisation as a proxy.
  • Clients and suppliers transferring funds to bogus accounts: phishing and spear phishing attacks can exploit your email information to expose your customers to vulnerabilities. This can lead to customers sharing details and finances with cybercriminals using fake accounts and posing as employees of your company.
  • Impact to financial credentials: cybercriminals can access company credit cards and bank accounts, which can cause financial losses and damage.
  • Theft of intellectual property: cyberattackers that infiltrate your system or deploy ransomware can access sensitive data and information from within your organisation. This can be used to blackmail your organisation, or be sold through the black market, for monetary gain.
  • Ransom demands: armed with sensitive company and customer information, cybercriminals can further exploit organisations by requesting payment for the return of locked up data.
  • Company information used for unlawful purposes: in addition to financial exploitation, criminals can also exploit confidential information for other means, such as corporate espionage. This can involve company secrets or intellectual property being sold to other competing organisations or used for other illegal activities such as fraud.

It’s essential that organisations invest wisely in tools and technologies to keep their valuable information safe from cybercriminals. To protect company information, organisations must integrate processes like advanced email threat protection, multifactor authentication and employee cybersecurity training into their operations. They should also invest in network security tools, such as perimeter security, to provide the best defence possible for the network. However, there is a fine balance between investing in the right level of protection for your organisation, and over-investing in solutions that may not deliver the best security advantage for your business.

Cyclone has identified four key capabilities your cybersecurity solution must deliver to best protect your organisation and its valuable information in our latest checklist. For more information, download your copy today or contact the Cyclone expert team for a personalised consultation on how best to protect your organisation

[1] https://www.top10vpn.com/research/investigations/dark-web-market-price-index-2019-us-edition/


Top three cyberthreats

Top Three Cyberthreats For NZ Organisations

Schools

What are the top three cyberthreats and how can you prevent them?

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Preventing Cyberthreats

There has been a significant increase in targeted cyberattacks on organisations since COVID-19, and these attacks are unlikely to subside any time soon. In fact, the rapid growth of smart devices used to access organisational tools and information, and the prevalence of employees working remotely, will only broaden the attack surface for cybercriminals in future.

Today, there are thousands of cyberthreats that pose a risk to businesses.  With a cyberattack occurring every 39 seconds on average it’s a matter of when, not if, your organisation will be targeted by cybercriminals. [1]  There are three key threats that pose the greatest risk to organisations today:

Top Three CyberThreats

  1. Email based threats and exploitation

Cybercriminals have been using email to exploit victims for a long time. However, gone are the days when you could easily identify a financial scam after receiving an email from a ‘prince’ in a foreign country. Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated as our technologies advance, and the ways in which they exploit victims has changed. Some of the most common attacks include:

  • Phishing: phishing is possibly the most common form of cyberattack. Phishing emails appear to come from a reputable source, and typically include requests to click a link or open an attachment.
  • Spear phishing: a more sophisticated form of phishing, spear phishing is more targeted and may appear to come from someone within the target’s own network, making it more likely that the recipient will fall for the scam.
  • Ransomware: a form of malware that encrypts files, ransomware is commonly sent via phishing emails and downloads to the victim’s device once opened.

As these attacks are common, there are reasonably simple ways you can defend your organisation. First, it’s important to install tools that protect the organisation and prevent data loss, such as advanced email threat protection software. It’s also essential to invest in education for your employees to ensure they understand cyber risks and how to identify scams and threats. Consider conducting regular training sessions with all employees and sending regular mock phishing emails to workers to keep them vigilant against threats.

  1. Hacking

Hackers will typically access your organisation’s network via ransomware or exploiting security vulnerabilities in your system. This opens your organisation to great financial and reputational risk, as well as potentially exposing your customers and partners to risks as well. Having multiple layers of defence is the most effective way to strengthen your organisation’s security posture and reduce the risk of failure in network security. Multiple layers of protection mean that, if one layer fails, another can sure up the organisation’s security. This involves investing in technologies like firewall and network protection to provide a privacy and security environment that both your employees and customers can trust.

  1. Data leakage

The rise of remote-working practices in 2020 has greatly increased the risk that employees pose to organisational security. The prolific use of external smart devices that need encryption to connect to organisational networks have increased the attack surface that can be exploited by cybercriminals, as well as the number of potential points of entry that can be breached. To defend against data leakage through risky access points, it’s essential to invest in multifactor authentication to protect devices and applications. The IT team also needs a comprehensive, up-to-date list of all devices connected to the organisation’s network.

Identifying the right tools and technologies to protect your organisation from a breach and defend it against cyberattack can be complicated. There are four key capabilities to look for in a cybersecurity solution. For more information, download Cyclone’s free checklist today, or contact the Cyclone expert team to discuss the safest and most cost-effective cybersecurity approach for your organisation.

[1] https://eng.umd.edu/news/story/study-hackers-attack-every-39-seconds


A-Z of Classroom Technology for 2020

Schools

IT can spark greater interest in subject content

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Leveraging the capability of technology in the classroom can transform learning experiences and student engagement. From lesson planning to collaboration, IT can spark greater interest in subject content.

HP devices with Intel® can help students access online learning resources and encourage active participation, with 73% of teachers reporting that technology enables them to respond to a variety of learning styles in the classroom1.

At Cyclone, we’ve compiled an A-Z list of classroom technology for 2020, so you can get a better understanding of the disruptive IT that’s changing the way students learn.

A – Augmented Reality (AR)
Digital elements like images and videos integrated into real-world environments, promoting creativity and engagement.

B – Blogging
Encouraging blogging in the classroom can help build writing and communication skills.

C – Connectivity
Fast and robust connectivitywithin schools enables collaboration between both students and teachers.

D – Devices
Laptops, computers, tablets and mobile provide students the tools they need toseamlessly work and meet learning objectives at both home and school.

E – E Learning
Creating a digital learning environment that embraces thinking and sharing beyond paper and talk.

F – File Sharing
Students can easily share files and content through online platforms like email, digital portfolios, Teams and G Suite.

G – Google Classroom
A network-based school classroom management system to boost collaboration and foster better communication between teachers and their students.

H – Hardware
Deploying robust hardware can support learning and teaching outcomes for your school.

I – Interactive Platforms
Using collaborative platforms that provide for the student voice in their interactions with applications and other users.

J – Joy
Foster JOY in the classroom – students often learn and interact differently from their teachers – don’t overlook the joy that comes learning in ways that address their needs too. .

K – Knowledge
Support knowledge and learning growth usingdigital tools to access live current and live information.

L – LCD Projectors
Connecting digital devices to external wall displays enabling clear, high-resolution videos, images and textso all students can simultaneously view subject content.

M – Multimedia
Using more than one medium of communication i.e. video, sound, animations, AR to create an engaging learning experience.

N – Network
Never underestimate the power of your network! Ensuring your school’s wireless network is secure and can perform seamlessly is crucial to supporting the learning environment.

O – Online Class Calendar
Leveraging online calendar applications can help teachers manage busy class schedules, coordinate lesson plans and share activities with parents.

P – Podcasts
A great example of audio media that can educate students on a range of topics, content and stories. Consider students creating and sharing their own learning outcomes.

Q – Query
Student queries can be answered faster with collaborative devices and online messaging platforms.

R – Recording
Students and teachers can use video equipment to record, createand editpresentations to share with others.

S – SAMR
A significant pedagogy underlying the digital technology adoption and illustrating the progressive adoption and use by students and teachers alike (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition)

T – Tablets
Tablets can enrich classroom learning with their portability and easy-to-use nature. Their ability to accept a digital pen/ pencil as an input enhances the way users interact with their device.

U – USBs
Are no longer needed! Leverage the capabilities of the CLOUD!

V – Virtual Reality
VR can elevate student engagement and immerse them in new experiences. With the ability to explore 3D of objects, it brings a whole new level of learning to the classroom.

W – WiFi
Having a solid WiFi solution helps with real-time collaboration and accelerates the sharing of information.

X – XaaS
Schools canutilise an as-a-Service model, like DaaS (Device as a service), for tailored end-user experiences, hardware management and security solutions.

Y – YouTube
An online platform teachers and students can use to watch and publish their videos about different subjects, topics and stories – a way to globally share their learning outcomes.

Z – ZZZ
Don’t sleep on how much technology can transform the learning experience for teachers and students.

At Cyclone, we believe technology can empower all levels of a school’s learning system that’s why we offer comprehensive IT managed services across the education sector.

If you want to know more about classroom technology, don’t hesitate to contact a friendly Cyclone representative today.