How it Began With a mission to enhance security at its 31 schools, Torrance Unified School District in California employed an effective tool for controlling access to campuses — a durable and networkable video intercom from 2N. Rather than being prompted by a single incident, it was media attention on school shootings in general at the time that had school boards, administrators and parents talking about what could be done to stop these tragic events from happening. Torrence Unified School District (TUSD) was part of that ongoing, nationwide discussion. It formed a safety and security commi ..read more

Cybersecurity threats are becoming more rampant every day. As more students move to hybrid and remote learning, schools are exposed to cybercrime in ways they have never been before. If you’re still using the same cybersecurity systems you had in place pre-pandemic, it may be time to take an assessment to learn where your vulnerabilities lie. Access Control Access control prevents unauthorized people from getting into your school. Modern access control systems will also allow you to track who has accessed which areas, revoke access and change access protocols in the event of an emergency. Doe ..read more

Cybersecurity threats are becoming more rampant every day. As more students move to hybrid and remote learning, schools are exposed to cybercrime in ways they have never been before. If you’re still using the same cybersecurity systems you had in place pre-pandemic, it may be time to take an assessment to learn where your vulnerabilities lie. Understand Your Remote Environment If you have students using school-provided internet access, it’s essential to protect those systems from inside and outside threats. There are several questions you can ask yourself to evaluate the health of your securi ..read more

Technology has become an essential pillar of the education system. From the laptops and mobile devices that run learning applications to the network equipment that powers them, technology is about as commonplace in school systems these days as the students and teachers themselves. Some of the more notable advancements in education technology to date have been the solutions geared towards keeping students safe. While the benefits of investing in technology that promotes school safety are obvious, it can be extremely costly. The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of ..read more

Background NIC Partners had been Glendora Unified School District’s trusted partner for years. Over our years working with them, we learned that they, like many other school districts, ran a very tight budget. Although they were dedicated to keeping their schools safe, they needed additional funding to make it happen. Glendora Unified School District needed to upgrade their physical security systems. They needed to implement new cameras, upgrades to their IP paging and a new locking system. And they needed the funds to be able to do it. Solution That’s when NIC Partner’s Sr. Account Manager, M ..read more

The safety of your staff and students is a top priority. If your district is like most, your budget is stretched thin meeting the needs of your students. From supplies to textbooks to computers, you’re balancing competing priorities, and they all need to be addressed. While you may not have the funds to hire more security staff, you can increase the safety of your campus with security cameras. Funding those cameras might be easier than you think. Learn more about security camera grants for schools and how to make the most of those funds. Explore Security Camera Grants for Schools In general ..read more

Supporting Customers During this Unprecedented Time Amid the global increase in remote work driven by the outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Cisco has responded quickly to help you make a difference. We know your top priority is to continue to operate with minimum disruption and for your staff, students, and others to be able to stay united. To support our customers as they formulate business and school continuity plans and to quickly scale their ability to support work and learning from home, we’d like to share several Cisco offers that require no financial commitment. Cisco Webex – Free 90 ..read more

Cybersecurity in Education Cybersecurity should be a priority for school districts. Ransomware attacks are actually increasing in prevalence in K-12 and higher education institutions. In 2019, the worst cyber-attacks affected more than three-quarters of a billion people and saw a wide range of personal data compromised. The breaches exposed bank account numbers, dates of birth, PINs, driver’s license images, driving records, and passwords. Schools, colleges, and other educational institutions are particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks because they store sensitive data like stu ..read more

Goal: Enhanced school safety & The prevention of criminal activities NIC Partners recently completed the supply and installation of 1,100 Sony video security cameras across 34 school sites in the Torrance Unified School District. Nestled in the heart of the South Bay, in the south-western part of Los Angeles County, Torrance USD has 24,000 students in elementary, middle and high schools. It’s also home to one continuation and one alternative high school and three adult school campuses. Outstanding Service “Visibility over what happens on campus gives us the upper hand with all forms of cr ..read more