John Paul College, a school in South East Queensland, recently conducted a comprehensive review to better understand the needs of its staff and students. The findings highlighted a need for enhanced digital capabilities, world-facing cameras for STEM, and increased computing power to support new learning streams.
In partnership with Data#3, John Paul College utilised Data#3’s Device as a Service to equip the school with the multi-feature HP ProBook, specifically designed to support its growing curriculum requirements. The integration of this new technology into classrooms has since enabled students at John Paul College to work more efficiently and fully embrace the digital classroom.
“By adopting the latest HP devices, we are ensuring that our students and staff have access to the best tools available, supporting our goal of being a leader in digital learning and innovation,” said Nicholas Burton, Network and Systems Manager at John Paul College.
In this video, discover how John Paul College has incorporated multi-feature HP devices and Microsoft Intune to empower and enhance student learning.
With over three decades of expertise in the Education industry, Data#3 is well equipped to provide educational clients with the tools they need for success, offering a range of cutting-edge technology services and solutions that enhance and empower classroom learning. Through this approach, Data#3 enables schools to create a modern, flexible, and secure digital classroom that fosters greater engagement, productivity, and innovation in the learning process.
In cyber security, change is constant, but some challenges remain stubbornly familiar. Do you remember the Anna Kournikova virus from over two decades ago? It spread rapidly by tricking users into opening a seemingly harmless email attachment. Fast forward to today, and it’s no surprise that email remains the number one attack vector. The only difference is that the stakes are higher, and as technology evolves, the threats grow more sophisticated.
In our latest Security Minutes video series, with Mimecast, Data#3’s National Practice Manager for Security, Richard Dornhart, and Mimecast’s Senior Sales Engineer, Matt Youman, discuss the critical challenges organisations face and how they can stay ahead. From polished phishing attacks to overlooked attack vectors such as collaboration tools, here are the key insights you can’t afford to miss.
Cyber criminals are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) tools to revolutionise their tactics. In the first episode, Youman highlights the rapid rise of AI-driven phishing attacks:
With tools capable of learning, adapting, and automating attacks at scale, organisations can no longer rely on traditional defences alone.
While cyber criminals use AI to evade detection, it’s imperative to remember that AI is also a powerful ally for defenders. Youman explores how Mimecast uses natural language processing and social graphing to identify behavioural patterns to help you catch threats that static tools miss.
When Youman reviewed 2,000 emails that bypassed standard security tools, the results were staggering: payroll switch scams and other business email compromise threats had slipped through unnoticed.
Relying on static rules and limited keyword scans is no longer enough. Utilising AI-driven solutions can help you think like attackers, making it easier for your organisation to fight back
It’s not just email. Collaboration tools, essential to everyday business operations, are also becoming an increasingly popular target for attackers. Yet they’re often overlooked in security strategies. Youman shares how Mimecast addresses this blind spot by integrating collaboration platforms into its centralised security solution, enhancing visibility and simplifying management.
Are your collaboration tools secure? If not, attackers may already be exploiting the gap.
Even with advanced technology, people remain the final safeguard. Roles such as those in C-suite, IT, HR, and finance are prime targets due to their access to sensitive data. Youman emphasises that understanding and addressing human risk is vital to any security strategy.
Did you know that Mimecast’s 30-day Email Threat Scanner not only uncovers risks but also identifies patterns of human error? Making it a great tool for helping you tailor training to individual roles.
When was the last time you tested your human defences?
No single tool or strategy can eliminate cyber risk. Reflecting on recent incidents, Youman highlights the critical need to look beyond email when protecting your organisation from cyber criminals.
That’s why Data#3 and Mimecast advocate for a defence-in-depth approach. By layering advanced detection, automation, and human-centric strategies, organisations can:
The final episode showcases Mimecast’s Email Threat Scanner in action. This free tool provides a powerful way to uncover email-borne risks that have bypassed your existing defences. With access to the Mimecast console, you can:
With everything we’ve learned so far, it’s easy to see that the evolving cyber threat landscape requires more than just traditional security measures. The rise of AI-driven attacks, sophisticated phishing campaigns and overlooked vulnerabilities in collaboration tools reveal critical security blind spots that many organisations still miss. Relying solely on static defences alone is no longer enough to stay ahead of cyber criminals.
A comprehensive, defence-in-depth approach is necessary to safeguard your organisation against emerging threats. Don’t delay, each day leaves your organisation open to more attacks. With Data#3 and Mimecast, you’ll take proactive steps to identify and address potential risks that will help protect your organisation.
Mimecast’s Email Threat Scanner Report will give you actionable insights into your current security posture, helping you stay one step ahead of cyber criminals. Don’t leave your organisation’s security to chance—ensure you’re fully prepared for the threats ahead.
Contact your Data#3 Security Specialist today to request your Email Threat Scanner Report and uncover hidden threats before they become a problem.
At Kingsway Christian College, empowering students with the skills to excel in a digital world is a top priority. Enter Adobe Creative Suite, a set of industry-leading tools that help students create captivating images, graphics, presentations, videos, and digital experiences. Through Adobe Creative Suite, students can unleash their creativity, build essential technical skills, and prepare for success in an increasingly digital landscape.
“What’s really great is that you have multiple ways of getting to the same place. The way I do it is different from the students. When the students are excited about what they are doing, you’re going to get the best out of them,” said Lauren Clark, Teacher, Kingsway Christian College.
In this video, discover how Kingsway Christian College is empowering students to harness the power of Adobe Creative Suite to unlock their potential in modern media.
As a Platinum Adobe Partner, Data#3 has extensive experience helping customers select and implement Adobe’s leading digital solutions. Let’s talk about how to:
For families seeking an international education in Perth, the International School of Western Australia (ISWA) has earned a reputation as an innovative school that prioritises student wellbeing and individual success. With a student body representing more than 60 nationalities, ISWA embraces diversity and welcomes different perspectives.
Technology is seen as an essential tool to help students explore the world, and to help teachers continuously provide an engaging and thought-provoking education. As a previous device program neared its conclusion, the school had an opportunity to further enhance digital learning.
In this video, discover how ISWA leveraged modern, reliable, and secure devices to create a more efficient and interactive classroom environment. By streamlining procurement and support processes and ensuring cost predictability through a DaaS model, ISWA significantly improved the user experience for both teachers and students.
Our team has accumulated more than three decades of expertise in the Education industry, and we are dedicated to assisting our education clients in designing, implementing, and overseeing a digital ecosystem that fosters learning and accomplishes wider business objectives.
Contact our team of specialist today to explore how you can help your students embrace modern learning with technology.
The International School of Western Australia (ISWA) wanted to invest in modern devices and explore an ‘as a service’ model that would empower teachers and students to take full advantage of digital learning advancements in the modern classroom.
ISWA sought a Device as a Service (DaaS) solution that would reduce administrative burden while providing a higher level of service to families, students and staff, whom were tightly involved in the process.
Download Customer Story View Video Customer Story
The Data#3 DaaS portal lets us log support calls and order stock of laptops – the whole platform is great and provides a set of tools for us that is very useful.
Staale Brokvam – IT Director, ISWA.
For families seeking an international education in Perth, the International School of Western Australia (ISWA) has earned a reputation as an innovative school that prioritises student wellbeing and individual success. With a student body representing more than 60 nationalities, ISWA embraces diversity and welcomes different perspectives.
Technology is seen as an essential tool to help students explore the world, and to help teachers continuously provide an engaging and thought-provoking education. As a previous device program neared its conclusion, the school had an opportunity to further enhance digital learning.
As an international school, ISWA is unique in Australia in that it offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum following the Northern Hemisphere school year that runs from July to June. The IB ethos promotes an understanding of diverse viewpoints, and ISWA principal Dr Caroline Brokvam said that technology is central to tailoring the experience to each student’s needs.
“The idea with technology and the IB is using technology as a tool for personalised learning, which is one of our school’s commitments. Individuals learn in different ways, and we support that by harnessing the power of technology in pursuit of deeper learning.”
“The aim of the IB is to create a more peaceful world, with a philosophy that other people with differences can also be right, something that is especially important now. We foster an appreciation of different perspectives, and technology can help to access so many perspectives online,” stated Dr Brokvam.
Where previously the students and staff had numerous types of laptops through another provider, this arrangement was nearing its conclusion. Typically for devices reaching end of life, the older laptops had an increasing number of issues. Teachers were dealing with different device models in the classroom, making it a more complicated learning experience, and they were keen not to lose any teaching time. Resolving the issues was time consuming and frustrating, and Dr Brokvam said that at times the small, busy IT team became a “complaints department”.
Deploying, maintaining, and supporting devices typically consumes a significant portion of skilled IT time for small and mid-sized organisations, often leaving an IT team with less than a quarter of the day for innovation. Furthermore, modern devices are more secure, better protecting users online. This challenge was only too familiar to ISWA IT Director Staale Brokvam, who was keen to remove the impact on teachers and students.
“Battery life was particularly an issue, which comes with the territory as a device gets older. Weight was also a key consideration; compared to modern machines, older devices were heavier and not as durable, with cables that were suffering from wear and tear.”
“Support for our devices had expired at the tail end of the previous lease, so if any of our devices were broken, they weren’t covered by warranty. The lack of support meant there was a lot of frustration.”
The more predictable pricing schedule of a Device as a Service (DaaS) agreement was attractive to ISWA, as this would allow them to work on a per user, per month cost with no surprises. After the challenges of procurement during times of global shortages, the school was keen to find an easier way to ensure supply and minimise disruption.
“Like everyone, we found it hard to source devices when needed, and it took more time and effort than we could spare,” reported Staale Brokvam.
The school was familiar with Data#3 and their connection with the Association of Independent Schools Western Australia Microsoft Enrolment for Education Solutions arrangement. As Western Australia’s largest education licensing partner, which includes Microsoft 365 Education suite, it made sense to seek input from a partner with a wealth of understanding of the education sector. The choice of device was narrowed down to two machines, with the feedback of students and teachers prioritised. The overwhelming favourite was the HP ProBook, with upgraded memory provided by the Data#3 Integration Centre.
“The students liked the general feel, like keyboards and weight, as well as the battery life. It is a bit intangible why they liked this machine so strongly, but it was uniform feedback. The form and feel of it fits our needs very well,” recounted Staale Brokvam.
“They had the required specs, the students liked the fold over tablet mode, and we could get the required number at the right time for a good cost.”
The complete device lifecycle was included in the DaaS solution from Data#3, from procurement, image deployment and delivery through to support via the ServiceNow portal, and secure, sustainable decommissioning at device end of life. The solution is provided through a monthly billing cycle, eliminating capital expenditure on this key technology. Almost 300 devices were deployed in the initial batch, and the portal makes it easy to add more as needed in a few clicks. Support, too, became easy, helping to free time for the innovation in digital education that is a hallmark of ISWA.
“The portal where we can lodge cases has all previous communications, so we can see updates on each case, which is quite useful. We also have someone from Data#3 who comes onsite as needed,” explained Staale Brokvam.
“We now have a supplier we can rely on, and getting new devices has never been a problem. As the models change, we know we can get the equivalent specifications in the latest device.”
With newer, more reliable devices, support needs have been low, and Staale Brokvam noted with approval that the respectful behaviour promoted at ISWA has extended to the laptops.
“Our students are responsible, and Data#3 has commented that we have a lower number of damage cases than at most schools. Working with Data#3 has been problem free.”
While the most welcomed advantage of the DaaS program from an IT perspective has been the streamlined process and reduced management required, the principal said she has observed something special among the student population. “Students can do graphing, calculate complex maths equations, and create art. We have a student media team, and they are remarkably creative in how they work with the laptops. The technology facilitates the inquiry-based learning that is at the centre of the way we work,” said Dr Brokvam.
Students can do graphing, calculate complex maths equations, and create art. We have a student media team, and they are remarkably creative in how they work with the laptops. The technology facilitates the inquiry-based learning that is at the centre of the way we work.
Dr Caroline Brokvam – Prinicpal, ISWA.
International schools have seen a 52 percent rise in student numbers in the last decade, and ISWA is intent on repaying the faith of its growing school community by giving students the best possible experience and outcomes. For today’s digital native youngsters, the right device is central to school performance, and Dr Brokvam is confident that their needs are fully met.
“I don’t get complaints from students or teachers because the devices do all that we want them to do. They have a long battery life, and they just work. Teachers don’t have time for interrupting lessons to mess around with technology, and the best thing is when you don’t hear much about it, because that means everyone is able to work unhindered.”
“It supports us to do what we want to do in terms of our educational goals. Students do a lot of independent research, and this is an excellent tool for them. We use technology to remove barriers to learning and to be more inclusive. For example, we can use technology to give dyslexic students different ways to access learning that work best for them so they can continue learning and achieving.”
While the highlight from an organisational perspective has been to support the diversity and inclusion that comes from catering to the needs of every individual, from an IT point of view, Staale Brokvam said the right partnership has made a real difference. The DaaS model has helped reduce IT workloads by up to 16 percent and a strong working relationship helps to realise those benefits. “We have regular meetings with Data#3 where they keep us up-to-date and check in on any issues that arise. They’re quick to respond when there are any cases needing attention. It helps that they are a knowledgeable partner that works with many independent schools, so they understand the way we work and what is important to us. That helps us to focus our attention on giving our best for our students, families, and staff.
Download Customer Story Explore how technology empowers modern learning
Adobe‘s latest report, “The Future of Digital Work: Australia” is an eye-opening exploration into the nuances of digital transformation and adaptation and its impact on the productivity of workers in Australia.
This comprehensive report, based on a survey conducted in April 2023 among 506 Australian knowledge workers, provides unparalleled insights into the intricate relationship between technology, productivity, and workplace satisfaction. Among these respondents were 76 influential leaders in roles such as Directors or above, alongside 430 employees, all actively engaged in leveraging digital tools within their daily work activities.
In partnership with Adobe for over 20 years, Data#3 stands at the forefront of digital transformation in Australia. Data#3 is Adobe’s premier Australian partner, renowned for simplifying licensing and optimising software investments.
With a dedicated team of Adobe specialists, Data#3 is committed to guiding organisations through digital evolution, leveraging Adobe’s pioneering technologies and industry-leading platforms. From PDF innovations to creative solutions, this partnership ensures a seamless transition into the digital realm, unlocking unprecedented potential for businesses across Australia.
As the future beckons a landscape shaped by technology, Adobe’s “Future of Digital Work: Australia” report serves as a compass, guiding organisations through the complexities of digital adaptation.
Coupled with Data#3’s expertise, it promises a transformative journey toward a more efficient, productive, and technologically empowered future of work. Download the report now and embrace the future of Australian productivity!
The Department for Education wanted to achieve a smooth transition to a new managed service provider that would offer greater transparency and a true partnership.
The Department for Education chose Data#3 as their managed service provider (MSP) through a competitive tender program. Established systems and customer references played a key role in the decision.
The highlight was the proactiveness of Data#3, the way they went about the engagement was positive and professional, and the process they used was highly effective.
Simon Chapman – Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Department for Education South Australia
The South Australian Department for Education (The Department) provides education, training and child development services to support children, young people and families as they reach their learning goals.
The Department was nearing the end of its contract with an existing Managed Services Provider (MSP) and sought a future partnership that would serve it well through an exciting phase of transformation in education services.
In a state that spans vibrant cities as well as rural and remote communities, striving for excellence in education is both challenging and rewarding. Innovative use of technology is seen as a tremendous opportunity by the Department. The busy in-house team is passionate about raising the bar of technology in the education sector, something Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Simon Chapman said he could “talk about all day.”
To dedicate efforts into providing the best services within the Department and to schools, the team depended on a managed service provider. When that contract neared its conclusion, it was seen as an opportunity for progress.
“We were looking for someone we could have a long-term strategic relationship with. We were keen to find value-adds that a service provider could bring to education to support modern learning,” said Chapman.
“Government is complex, and every agency is different, with unique processes around each area. There is a phase of building up knowledge and understanding the environment of the customer for a managed service provider. We needed those dedicated resources who would understand us and the way we work.”
Any change to existing managed service arrangements needed to be handled with care, in order to avoid any disruption to the Department’s vital work. With this in mind, Chapman scrutinised the approach to transition in each tender response.
“We were on a previous whole of government arrangement with a different provider and we needed to know that there was a plan in place that could make that happen smoothly,” said Chapman.
To verify suitability and experience, the Department for Education team did its homework, diligently following up references to get a sense of how well potential partners would mesh with the in-house team. Chapman was keenly aware that there could be no loss of focus on the important work of supporting South Australia’s school communities.
“Our approach was that we needed this to be a partnership to truly achieve a successful transition. We knew we needed dedicated resources and a proven process.”
Beyond the immediate challenge of transitioning between providers, the Department saw any managed services agreement as an opportunity to access a broader knowledge base, with an opportunity to free the busy in-house team from day-to-day activities. Overall efficiency gains, increased insight, and improved resolution times were also high on the wish list.
“We identified that there was room to streamline the support process and get a clearer view.”
After careful consideration against each required criteria, the South Australia Department for Education selected Data#3 as its new managed services partner. This signalled the start of an in-depth planning phase to ensure a smooth transition.
“We had weekly meetings and then, as we got closer, daily stand-up meetings between Education and Data#3’s specialised team. Each week we had progress reports from the project manager, so we knew what activities had been completed and what was coming up. This all followed our overarching plan and agreed milestones,” described Chapman.
Some aspects of the transition merited a more in-depth look, with the Department for Education team keen to make the most of a wealth of enhanced systems and services available to them. Chapman said that this proactive approach served the Department well as it strove to get maximum return on its managed services investment.
“We conducted workshops focused on discovery and explored various value-added services. One example of added value was the integration of our service desk tool, ‘ServiceNow’, with the systems of Data#3. Any requests logged in our tool became accessible to the Data#3 team through their own ServiceNow system, which saved our teams a significant amount of time as we were able to manage everything without leaving our own systems.”
The integration was about more than saving on administration effort. It also gave the Department real-time visibility of every ticket in progress or completed. Every action and comment from Data#3 engineers can be seen b y the Department’s team, who can also add their own updates. This gives a better sense of teamwork between the organisations as they collaborate towards shared goals.
“Having that visibility really improved the efficiency, and reduced resolution times to get incidents resolved,” explained Chapman.
“We get monthly reports from our Data#3 customer success manager, and that tracks the number of tickets, what’s outstanding, and whether any SLAs have been breached depending on the severity of the ticket. We’re seeing trends and we’re not seeing a spike in any type of tickets, there’s a consistent downward trend with improvement on how long each takes to resolve.”
In any transition of this magnitude and complexity, Chapman said that it is realistic to expect a few technical challenges to work through but thanks to experienced project managers both in-house and with Data#3, the project progressed smoothly.
“Anything that cropped up was dealt with on a case-by-case basis. There were some issues with discovering all assets in discovery, but we were able to mitigate that; we had an issues register to track issues and were able to put an action plan in place. Meaning there were no showstoppers, and that was incredibly important to us.”
Chapman credited staffing and processes with helping to make the transition and ongoing management a success. He pointed out that, given every government agency operates differently, consistency of resources makes all the difference.
“We all have different processes around each area, so it takes time building up knowledge to understand the environment of each customer. We like that Data#3 brings subject matter experts to each account, rather than just a pool of Data#3 resources, so we get specialised engineers who are familiar with the education sector and environment. We’re not just getting generic resources and having that first level dedicated resourcing to our account has helped familiarise them with our environment, they are not having to relearn for every request,” stated Chapman.
“There’s a learning curve and rather than having to refer to the documentation every time, we have those dedicated resources who know education, with backups when they are not available. It improves our resolution times when they don’t have to relearn our environment.”
They understand our business and help us be more adaptive to change. They are service delivery focused and have the experience as a managed service partner for a large, complex environment. The local staff are very good at building relationships and communicating to keep us in the loop.
Simon Chapman – Assistant Director, Digital Architecture and Operations, Department for Education South Australia
While there are certainly many managed services options on the market, they are far from all the same. In particular, the people, processes, and systems can vary considerably. For the Department, finding the right fit has had a clear effect on reducing resolution times, but the impact goes beyond that simple measurement.
“We’ve got someone who is a genuine close partner rather than a general managed services provider, they want to see us succeed and set about making that happen. We have a partner at a strategic level.”
“They understand our business and help us be more adaptive to change. They are service delivery focused and have the experience as a managed service partner for a large, complex environment. The local staff are very good at building relationships and communicating to keep us in the loop.”
The integration between Department for Education and Data#3 systems has served to give Chapman greater insight into his environment, and his team has been quick to put that intelligence to good use.
“We have more transparency around ticketing systems and a level of visibility we have never had before due to the monitoring tools used. We can see a greater level of improved service overall. We are also more forward looking. We can make continuous improvements and use the information for road-mapping; it helps us see what the future looks like and where we can save costs or improve efficiency,” outlined Chapman.
“In terms of ongoing costs, we’re in a much better position. They’re quite flexible about onboarding new services, around billing and invoicing.”
For other organisations looking at transitioning to a new managed services provider smoothly, Chapman’s advice is that it pays to allocate the right resources, who can focus fully on the task.
“As a project, don’t try to do it on top of the day job. Dedicate resourcing both internally and within the provider so that you get all the prerequisites and planning done and nothing is left to chance. Work with somebody who has experience and has done multiple transitions before, so you have the comfort that they know what they are doing and have the right expertise. Do talk to their other customers – we did reference checks, who reflected positive experiences of their transitions.”
Ultimately, given the importance of technology within most organisations, the role of the managed service provider is key to progress. Along with expertise, finding a strong cultural fit is worth the effort. “I think the highlight was the proactiveness of Data#3, the way they went about the engagement was positive and professional, and the process they used was highly effective. They had a collaborative approach. I was really impressed by the partnership between the Department and Data#3 to get a positive outcome: we don’t see them as a simple managed services provider, but as a strategic partner, and that is the key that has set them apart,” concluded Chapman.
Download Customer Story Enhance productivity with Data#3 Managed Services
Microsoft continues to grow the Surface device family by introducing new generations to keep students and teachers at the forefront of educational technology. Many of the Surface models have easily found their home in schools and tertiary institutions across the country – and the world – thanks to their thoughtful alignment with the evolving needs of modern education in a digital and hybrid world.
Recently, Surface added three new generations to their device family, which you can read about in more detail here. In this blog though, we’ll take a closer look at why Surface continues to be a stand-out in education. Whether your devices are used by students, teachers or IT teams, Surface sets the bar in various areas:
The various form factors – tablets, 2-in-1 laptops, and traditional laptops allow schools to cater to diverse learning needs and preferences among students and educators. Often a single device can serve multiple purposes, making it an adaptable and cost-effective fleet choice.
Natural ink and touch capabilities allow students and teachers to write, draw, and interact with content intuitively, creating a more engaging and interactive learning experience that encourages creativity and active participation in the educational process.
Surface devices are hardy and long-lasting thanks to their aluminium chassis that makes them able to withstand the wear and tear of daily use by students of all ages. They also tend to have a longer lifespan compared to other devices thanks to their high level of repairability and Designed for Surface rugged accessories, reducing the need for frequent and often costly replacements.
Modern multimedia experiences improve with each new generation. Devices are kitted with vibrant screens, rich audio and brilliant cameras to support the digital learning experience.
They are more secure than ever thanks to the fact that the new Surface devices are now all Secured-Core PCs. These devices have been explicitly created to provide extra protection for people handling sensitive information – a must-have in educational settings. Features include modern device management, remote management (meaning items like the camera or microphone can be disabled as required), built-in cloud-powered security, and multiple methods of highly secure password-less authentication with Windows Hello. You can learn more about these features here.
Repairability across all devices has become a key focus for Microsoft with newly expanded serviceability options. This includes the ability for trained technicians to replace or repair parts (in most places, this is a same-day service) including the display, keyboard assembly, battery, storage, and motherboard (depending on the device) – giving an added layer of convenience and longevity to all devices.
Some devices also have accessory compatibility with older models to allow customers who have already invested in holders, mounts, cases, and various other Designed for Surface peripherals to seamlessly transition to the newer devices without upgrading those components.
Let’s focus now on the education relevant specs with the latest release devices – the highly versatile Surface Go 4 perfect for K-12 students, the classroom-ready Surface Laptop Go 3, and the powerhouse Surface Laptop Studio 2. In this latest release, Microsoft has opted for a consistent form factor across all device enhancements, adhering to the philosophy that “it’s what’s inside that matters”.
The Surface Go 4 offers the familiarity of a tablet with a built-in, adjustable kickstand and attachable Type Cover to seamlessly transform into a laptop. Like its predecessors, Go 4 is an ultraportable, versatile and cost-effective option at the lower end of the market.
Built like a traditional laptop with the added bonus of a touchscreen, the Surface Laptop Go 3 finely balances price, power, portability and practicality, and promises to continue to attract the attention of education customers.
The more demanding needs of higher education and tertiary are easily met with the Surface Laptop Studio 2, an adaptable device with a dynamic woven hinge that takes the user from laptop mode to studio mode, while delivering enterprise-level performance to power through their learning tasks.
You may be familiar with Surface accessories – Surface Pen, Dial, Mice and Type Covers. Beyond these Microsoft-made peripherals, the officially licensed Designed for Surface accessories range provide plenty more options for kitting out your Surface fleet, with an extra focus on device protection and accessibility. Plus, Designed for Surface accessories are developed and tested to ensure proper fit, function, and quality standards.
Just quickly on the Surface Pen options – there’s an expanded range on offer that includes the original Surface Slim Pen, Surface Pro Pen and a new Surface Classroom Pen with pared-down features so younger students can adjust to the digital inking experience.
As Microsoft’s largest Australian business partner with the highest level of competency across the Microsoft ecosystem, Data#3 is your go-to partner for end-to-end support, maintenance, and training for all your Surface fleet requirements. Request a demo device to see how we can transform your school with the Surface suite at the best possible prices, or request a quote from our team for your upcoming refresh (all devices will be available from October 2023).
Westminster School counts cyber security among the most critical responsibilities of its IT department. The school wanted to minimise risk exposure by strengthening protection around legacy applications and systems.
The school’s IT leaders attended a cyber security session at Data#3’s annual JuiceIT event, and realised they had found the ‘missing piece’ to secure their environment.
When you get the best of both worlds, with a great product and great people, hands down it’s a winner. Data#3 and Silverfort have become trusted advisors on this matter.
Simon Matthews – Infrastructure lead, Westminster School
Nestled between the beaches and the vibrant city of Adelaide, Westminster School is a leading co-ed day and boarding school with around 1,300 students from early learning to year 12. The school is affiliated with the Uniting Church, and is known for nurturing students as they pursue their academic, sporting and artistic dreams.
Technology plays a key role in school life, both in administration and in the classroom. A period of modernisation meant that much of the school’s IT environment has shifted to the cloud, with some legacy and on-premises infrastructure remaining, presenting some security challenges.
In any organisation, protecting users and assets against cyber attacks is of high importance. The Australian Cyber Security Council (ACSC) reported a doubling of reported cyber attacks in a two-year period to June 2022, with more than two in every ten organisations impacted each year. Breaches can have a significant financial and reputational effect on organisations, but Westminster School Infrastructure lead, Simon Matthews, said that the impact on individuals is, for educators, the greatest concern.
“Breaches can affect people very deeply. The vast majority of our stakeholders are under 18, so we need to do everything we can to protect our students. We have a lot of confidential information to protect, often medical details, and information around staff, and we take that seriously.”
Much of the school’s environment had been transitioned into the cloud, but the IT team was especially conscious that the remaining on-premises environment was limited in terms of identity protection, and this could have represented a risk. Finding an answer had proven problematic.
“It was the legacy on-premises infrastructure we were looking to secure, and we were not aware of a solution on the market that would cover not only the desktop, but also the whole range of common tools that threat actors use. They will target just about any service related to Windows.”
A cyber security truism is that ‘you can’t secure what you can’t see’, and here, too, there were obstacles to overcome. Visibility was limited in the legacy environment.
“We had a lack of awareness around what accounts we had that could be compromised, and service accounts were mostly where we saw problems. A lot had built up over years, staff would create a service, and over time, wouldn’t realise that the associated service accounts existed.”
While these service accounts in themselves were typically not related to sensitive data, hackers often exploit such accounts to find their way into an environment, spending months casing out an organisation and finding opportunities for lateral movement into other systems for months before they strike.
“Back in the day, we would measure threat using our firewall’s data to measure how many attempts were made. The landscape has since changed, with client devices in many places, and a completely decentralised environment. Threat actors work every device, every app, not just what is physically here.”
“As the threat landscape changes, we have to assume a breach and mitigate risk, by stopping lateral movement at that point to protect our people.”
When the Westminster School’s IT team attended Data#3’s annual JuiceIT event, one of the partner presentations especially resonated with them. Security specialists from Data#3 and partner, Silverfort, spoke about addressing the security gap that can emerge in the area of identity protection when dealing with legacy environments designed for a more centralised landscape.
“We saw the cyber security presentation, and it was a real lightbulb moment. We looked at each other and went ‘yes!’. This speaks volumes about JuiceIT and the vendors that Data#3 brings into the space; the events ensure that Data#3 customers are exposed to the best emerging security solutions available through their partners, and that is part of why the partnership with Data#3 is so critical to us.”
After discussions with their Data#3, Westminster School elected to conduct a brief proof of concept to make sure that the solution lived up to its promise.
“We wanted to run it in house to see what it would do, and how it would function, and we ran some stats. We then fast tracked it because we knew we needed to close any gap in security around our on-premises infrastructure and legacy apps,” recounted Matthews.
The Data#3 and Silverfort team addressed a blind spot that was not protected well by existing identity and access management products. The proposed solution solves the technology challenge of enforcing secure authentication on all users, resources and protocols, both in on-premises and multi-cloud environments, thwarting efforts at lateral movement by malicious actors. To do this, it uses a unified identity protection platform that gives real-time protection against attacks that use compromised privileged or unprivileged credentials. It extends Microsoft Azure multi-factor authentication (MFA) to any sensitive resources, even to legacy environments that lacked the option for MFA previously.
The discovery capabilities of this technology were among the aspects that most impressed Matthews.
“It gave us exposure to service accounts, or accounts acting as service accounts, that we were unaware of. It also lets us enforce MFA that is policy based. The service account module has been critical to see the accounts we weren’t aware of and introduce controls around them, and we can do this by a granular process to make sure we aren’t breaking things elsewhere. Where there were gaps, we knew that the Data#3 and Silverfort teams could help us realise the issue to resolve it,” stated Matthews.
“It is very simple. The additional scope we get through insights gives us really useful information and helps us to troubleshoot daily.”
For the majority of Westminster School users, there was no difference in their experience of logging on. Outside the IT department and leadership, none were aware that their security had been raised.
“There is nothing to put on our devices, no additional software on the servers, no integration pieces with SaaS or legacy applications. It just ties back into the simple all-in-one system, where we set policy to enable a type of traffic and block everything else,” explained Matthews.
“There was no user interaction, no apps deployed, no testing on client devices – just a few people may get prompted for higher access at times. No change management was needed.”
Matthews described a leadership culture at the school that is wholly supportive of cyber security measures, something he said is a “necessity” when facing a complex and sophisticated range of threats. This was helpful when proposing introduction of the new security solution, and the faith has been repaid.
“When we implemented the solution, we could instantaneously sleep better because we had that peace of mind. This is a last layer of protection to stop anything that gets past other layers – when it hits a server, for example, that stops the lateral movement.”
The level of discovery that the solution introduced, and the visibility that resulted, has given the IT team another vital tool as it strives to offer the school community the best possible protection.
“We use the Microsoft Cybersecurity Reference Architecture (MCRA) as our cyber security reference, where we go to help order our next steps. Microsoft suggests Silverfort as a method of closing gaps, which speaks volumes about their confidence. Everyone should be looking at consolidating their security stack, and given Microsoft invests $3 billion a year in security, we are confident in their recommendation,” explained Matthews.
“Our position now is that we are very comfortable with our progress. We have gone from seeking a solution for gaps to being one of the most secure school IT departments around, and that is a testament to the work the team has done.”
When we implemented the solution, we could instantaneously sleep better because we had that peace of mind. This is a last layer of protection to stop anything that gets past other layers – when it hits a server, for example, that stops the lateral movement.
Simon Matthews – Infrastructure lead, Westminster School
As a very security aware educator, Westminster School had wrestled with the common challenge of identity protection around legacy and on-premises resources, so the security solution from Data#3 and Silverfort, caused a stir among the IT team. Matthews recalls a buzz of excitement at the end of the JuiceIT event session.
“We rely on partners like Data#3 to show us the best solutions available and introduce us to emerging vendors, and they did exactly that. They are a great company to have in Australia. We walked away saying that we didn’t realise there was a solution to this problem, and that we are grateful they have JuiceIT to bring the best technology to the industry.”
While Matthews gathers information from partner activities such as Microsoft webinars and Data#3 events, he recommends that other schools facing similar challenges make sure they talk to others within the sector to share experiences.
“Talk to other schools to get recommendations and reviews. Anyone can say how good their product is, but we can give real-life experience of working with Data#3 and Silverfort. If it is not in your security stack in the next six to twelve months, or not in your budget for next year, you’ve probably still got a big gap in security.”
The final piece of the picture, said Matthews, is working with knowledgeable partners who take time to understand your environment and the outcome you’re aiming for, and have their fingers on the pulse of emerging technologies.
“When we first learned about the new solution, there was a great buzz in our office, and we were all talking about it. When you get the best of both worlds, with a great product and great people, hands down it’s a winner. Data#3 and Silverfort have become and will continue to be trusted advisors on the matter of cyber security.”
Download Customer Story Learn more about Data#3 Security solutions
Having access to reliable and secure technology is critical for helping students and teachers excel in the classroom. Schools are challenged to provide a safe and effective learning environment, while balancing functionality and affordability of their hardware fleets.
For teachers to do what they do best, they need purpose-built devices that take their needs into account to better support modern learning. That’s what Data#3’s strategic partner, Lenovo, have achieved with their latest range of education solutions. Their devices help you manage, maintain, and protect your network – so you can focus on teaching and your students can focus on learning.
In this blog, we’ll look at the latest ThinkPad Education devices by Lenovo that are now available. Pairing these devices with Lenovo’s software and services allows you to transform your classroom management, for a productive and secure learning environment.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga is ideal for students on the go. With its high screen-to-body ratio, it’s great at boosting productivity for busy students juggling lots of projects. Its thin and lightweight design makes it a perfect student-friendly option, as it’s easy to carry around all day and doesn’t take up much space in backpacks.
This device has made security a major consideration throughout its design, which is critical in the classroom. It utilises built-in ThinkShield and Intel vPro® platform security to keep data, users, and devices secure. The Power-On Touch Fingerprint Reader feature ensures only the intended user can access the device – an important feature to avoid students being able to access each other’s devices if forgotten or left lying around. It also harnesses enhanced AI security for an additional layer of protection.
This device also takes sustainability seriously. It’s built through a reduced-emissions manufacturing process, created from Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) recycled materials, and arrives in plastic-free packaging made from 90% recycled materials. Both Data#3 and Lenovo are committed to reducing the environmental impact of devices.
For the visual learners who need a larger device, the Lenovo ThinkPad 500w Yoga features an industry-unique 12.2” 16:10 display. The WUXGA IPS touch screen makes for an immersive learning experience for your more hands-on students. It’s a highly versatile 360-degree laptop, built to flex, and able to withstand tough conditions. With Lenovo’s industry best DuraSpec standard, you can be assured this device will survive any drops, spills, or pressure it might encounter in your classroom.
If you need to teach students remotely, this is also a great option – it makes remote learning more engaging with a higher-resolution Full HD front-facing camera and a 5MP world-facing camera. The additional mic and Dolby dual speakers enhance clarity for rich video.
This device features HD resolution for sharper visuals, helping students easily absorb complex information. With a 360-degree hinge, it’s also sturdy and durable for a classroom environment, and easy to use on the go. Powered by an Intel N100 or N200 processor and Intel UHD Graphics, the device makes browsing and performing multitasking activities easier for the end-user.
Configured with up to 256GB SSD storage and up to 8GB LPDDR5 memory, there’s plenty of space for students to save any applications, files, videos, or other media they need across all their classes. With up to 12.2 hours of battery life, it’ll make it through the school day even if your students forget to bring their charger.
Lenovo has designed security-focused software solutions to help schools adapt to the dynamic setting of today’s modern education environment. Along with our other trusted partners, Lenovo offers dependable and budget-friendly tools to promote engagement while keeping students and networks safer online.
Lenovo NetFilter | Content filtering and student safety Receive cloud-based, AI-driven web filtering and threat protection to keep students safer online. Documentation is easy with built-in reporting, and filtering categorisation is available in over 40 languages. Upgrade to Lenovo NetFilter+ for real-time keystroke alerts to identify when intervention is needed. |
LanSchool | Classroom management software For over 30 years, LanSchool has been guiding learning, promoting collaboration, and maximising teaching time. Popular features include Screen Monitoring, Blank Screen, Messaging, Push Website, Limit Web, Battery Status, and Share Screen – which are all available in the classroom and remotely. |
Absolute | Mobile device management and analytics Automatically collect hundreds of data points about your devices to understand usage and automate hardware inventory. A customisable dashboard with reports and alerts helps IT teams monitor installed software, assess their security posture, and measure application health – with 365 days of historical logs. |
SentinelOne | Cyber security Replace legacy antivirus with an easy-to-manage endpoint solution. Predict, stop and correct the effects of malware with autonomous threat responses that trigger protective action in real time. One click remediation and recovery reverse authorised changes and restore any data affected by the attack. |
Lenovo Device Intelligence | AI device intelligence Assess, predict and prevent performance issues – at scale. This product uses advanced AI to provide more accurate insights as it monitors a school or district’s use patterns. With LDI, school IT teams can ensure less device down time and more focused learning for their students. |