Category: IT

CIO Summit 2019

Interesting day at the CIO Summit down in London yesterday.   This was my annual visit to an event focusing on IT in the wider, including corporate, world rather than within the education sector.   I make an effort to do this simply to try and get a wider view of IT, digital transformation and digital innovation to help provide some context to my work in school.   There were four key messages which definitely resonated with me.

Its about the problem we are solving, not the Tech.

The CDIO of HMRC, Jacky Wright, outlined the importance of focussing on the problems you are seeking to solve rather than coding, or the technology you have available.   This is a message I have often heard Mark Anderson (@ICTEvangelist) state in relation to education, in that it is not about the technology, it is about Teaching and Learning.   In a more recent post I think he hit the nail on the head when he said its not really #edtech after all, its simply #Ed.  It would seem that this need to focus on the end outcome or product and not be distracted by shiny or new technology is something which impacts on the wider IT world rather than just education.

Culture eats strategy

The importance of organisational culture was stated by a number of presenters.   Like a focus on the problem being solved, mentioned above, a focus on culture was identified as being more important than the Tech being used.   I liked Rackspaces mission of providing a “Fantastical Experience” as both setting the tone and culture which they seek to achieve within the organisation.   I wonder whether schools could be a little more inspirational in the missions they set rather than the usual “developing the best learners” or “preparing students to the future” style of mission which we commonly see.  At the end of the day the culture of an organisation is key in what it achieves or does not achieve.   The people, the leadership team and the staff, shape the culture.

Sustainability

A number of presenters discussed the issue of sustainability in relation to technology.   This is a challenging area given that technology may be both part of the solution and part of the problem.   In being the problem, as we consume more data, use more technology and even personally have more devices, we need more power.   We also consume valuable resources in the manufacturing processes plus make use of valuable metals in the various tech products.   This all adds up to using more energy at a time when we want to be using less.    Thankfully tech can also be the solution here in using AI to match availability and demand, in harnessing greater amounts of renewable energy with greater levels of efficiency and in supporting remote collaboration reducing energy consumption associated with travel.     A particular area of discussion in relation to sustainability was that of the supplier chain.   It was highlighted that organisations need to be aware of the energy consumption of the third parties they use rather than treating this as an issue for the third party.  If you are using Microsoft or Google cloud services, the resultant energy usage associated with their data centres, as used to store and process your data, needs to be considered in thinking about your organisations carbon footprint and energy usage.   In addition, looking at devices, including PCs, printers, etc, we also need to consider how suppliers source their resources, manage energy use during production and also to what extent their devices can be recycled, refurbished or reused.

Cyber Security

This topic was always likely to arise as part of discussion.   I found the presentation by Brigadier Alan Hill particularly interesting in discussion his views.   The key issue is ensuring that the risk associated with cyber security is understood at a board level and then working on constant review, testing and preparation for cyber events.      As he identified any plan made won’t survive an encounter with the enemy however the act of having and more importantly testing a plan will at least make you and your team as prepared as they possibly can be for when, and not if, a cyber incident happens.

This was my 2nd CIO Summit event and once again I found it to be useful and informative.   Towards the end of the event the importance of sharing ideas and best practice with IT peers was discussed and for me attendance at this event is a key part of this.   Our best chance for innovation and for security is collaboration and cooperation;  we are all in this together.  And so as I write this on the train on the way home I look forward to reviewing my many pages of notes and identifying the actions to take as a result of this event.   I cant wait for next year.

ISBA IT Strategy and Cyber Security Conference

The main conference venue before things began on Wednesday

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to present a session at the ISBA’s IT Strategy and Cyber Security Conference in London.   I had previously volunteered to contribute to the conference and was expecting and had planned for a small breakout session anticipating around 20 people.   On the day upon arriving at the conference I found out that my breakout session would be following Mark Steed’s keynote speech in the main conference venue and therefore with quite a few more than 20 people.

The session very much focused on my thoughts and experiences around cyber security with key messages around the extent of the risk we all face plus the opposing extremes of over confidence in security efforts or a constant need for heavy security measures at the expense of school operational efficiency.    I described my approach as being one of a “healthy” paranoia and of a robust risk assessment and risk recording process.

You can read my slides from the session here.

 

Backups: Do you test?

A little bit of a technology post today:  Backups including redundant solutions are increasingly important in organisations as we seek to keep our IT services up and running for our own internal users and also for external users or clients/customers.   This might be taking backup copies of data to tapes, having a redundant firewall or internet connection or having a cloud-based service available to replicate on-premise services in the event of a disaster.   My concern however is that we can feel better for having these solutions in place happy in the knowledge that we are better off and more protected than if we don’t have them.     The issue is that this sense of additional protection is false.   Just by having a backup solution of one type of another doesn’t mean that it will work when things go wrong.    We also need to be cognisant of the fact that when things do go wrong the result is often one of stress and urgency as we seek to restore services while under pressure from users, business leaders and process owners among others.   We need to adopt a scientific mindset and test the backup solution to make sure it works as intended.    It is much better to test our backup solutions to a timetabled plan than having the first test of a solution being a full blown real life incident where failure of the system could result in difficulties for the organisation.   We also need to bear in mind that just because it works on the day the solution was put in place, or even works today doesn’t mean it will work in a weeks or months’ time, or in a years’ time when we truly need it.    We need to have a robust programme of testing our backup solutions to ensure that they work, that we are aware of how they work and any implications and that those who need to use them are comfortable with their use.   Only by doing this can we be more comfortable in the knowledge that, when something does go wrong, we have a solution in place and are ready to put it to use.

The perfect example of the above, for me, was a recent test of our own backup solutions which included a service which indicated that recovery to a redundant system would be complete in 4 hours plus would be based on data backup taken regularly.    Upon testing the solution we found that the 4 hours recovery period was exceeded due to issues with the backup and the data was 3 days old.   We also found that there were implications for other systems when the test failure occurred.

It might be tempting to look on the above in a wholly negative fashion focussing on why the solution didn’t work however I want to avoid this and intend to focus more on the positive side of things.    We now at least know the solution didn’t perform as anticipated, we know more about the implications of the tested failure area, we are basically now more knowledgeable than we were before the test.    We will therefore now work internally and with the backup solution vendor to arrive at solutions that better meet our needs and are hopefully more robust and reliable.

The moral of the story;  Nothing works until you test it to confirm so test your backup provision and test it often.

Cyber thoughts from the train

Sat on the train going on my way back from London and I noticed my Samsung Galaxy phone was displaying a message telling me that it had detected a Samsung Gear device near me and wanted to connect.    The connection it was trying to establish was via Bluetooth which was enabled to allow my phone to connect to my cars audio system.   I hadn’t even thought to disable it.

As I look around the train I can see various people making use of mobile devices including laptops as we speed through the countryside.    The train is equipped with Wi-Fi thereby allowing everyone to remain connected even as they travel.

Two things worry me about the above.  The first worry is that of stray connections such as the one my phone tried to make with another passengers Samsung Gear.    As the various people on the train sit watching their video on their device, listening to music or working away their mobile devices are constantly seeking to make connections.    To connect to Wi-Fi for internet access, to connect via Bluetooth to external speakers, wireless headphones or in car audio devices.    As we use more and more technology our devices become more and more interconnected.    In doing so though we expose ourselves to an increasing risk of inappropriate connections being made either due to device error or due to human error, such as if I had accepted the connection which my phone was trying to make without reading the actual message.    These inappropriate connections may then give rise to unauthorised access and download of our data or to malicious acts being committed via our devices.

The other thing that worries me is the free Wi-Fi.    Now I suspect most people assume that the trains Wi-Fi is sufficiently secure although I cannot be sure of this.   The issue is the ease with which a passenger on the train could bring their own Access Point and set up a dummy Wi-Fi network, pretending to be the train providers network, for other passengers to connect to.   By doing so the owner of the dummy AP could gather data from those on the train who connect to the dummy AP.   This just seems all too easy.

The third thing that worries me is general awareness and consideration of security.    I doubt many people other than myself was giving cyber security of the many devices in use in the train carriage I sat in much in the way of consideration.    I would love to be able to survey people on a train or in another public space where free Wi-Fi is available in order to prove or disprove this assertion.   My belief, until I have any evidence to the contrary, is that we are a little too accepting.

Events such as the recent National Health Service ransomware attack highlights the issue of cyber security however the impact is not limited to big incidents occurring to big organisations like the NHS.   It affects each and every one of us, every day, even when sat on a train.    Also we cannot afford to be outraged and concerned only when a large breach like the WannaCry virus occurs, before almost instantly returning back to normal and forgetting all about security and the potential risks and implications.

We need a societal shift in terms of our perception of cyber security.

Cyber threats: Some thoughts

The recent WannaCry ransomware outbreak clearly identified the importance of keeping operating systems and other apps up to date to protect against identified vulnerabilities.   Given the high level of news publicity it is likely that a lot of us went home and updated our home PCs and also checked with IT departments to make sure they had done the same with company machines.    The outbreak, in my opinion, highlights a number of critical issues.

The vulnerability in this case had been previously identified and a patch made available by Microsoft, as such had all machines in the world been patched the impact would have been minimal.     But what if the vulnerability had not have been previously identified?    Had this been the case the attack could have been considered as a “zero-day” attack as it would have been on an unidentified vulnerability.    This would therefore have required the identification of the vulnerability followed by the coding and release of a patch, all post the initial infection.    In this case the impact of the ransomware would likely have been much more significant than it was.

The WannaCry Ransomware was specific to machines running Microsoft operating systems.    This has already resulted in a number of comments online suggesting people make use of Linux or Apple as these weren’t affected, suggesting that these may be safer systems.    As an operating system Microsoft has the predominant share of the desktop and laptop markets although the specific figures are difficult to ascertain.    This makes Microsoft machines a preferred target as there are simply more machines to attack.    Although there are differences in how the operating systems are managed, with Apple using a very closed development process and Linux using an open source approach, Apples OS, Linux and also Microsoft OS’s are all equally complex.   It is in this complexity that lies the risk of as yet unidentified vulnerabilities with equal risk across all the above OS’s.    The difference currently lies in the fact that Windows is the most common desktop OS, however if we were all to go out and buy an Apple or install Linux, it is likely the threat of attack would follow the masses.

My final issue is that of the devices we don’t give much thought to.    We think about the operating system of our laptop or desktop and even these days of our phone, and in thinking about these we carry out, or not, the required updates.    Our homes however increasingly contain more and more internet enabled devices and I would suggest we don’t give these the same level of thought.   My router, with which I connect to the internet, runs software in order to allow it to connect, to allow it to present an admin page along with providing other functionality.   This software is basically its operating system.     Your SMART TV runs an operating system which allows it to respond to your voice commands, search the internet and also carry out its other functions.    Your web connected home surveillance system runs an operating system which allows it to connect to cameras around your house and to allow you to connect in to view footage remotely, again, along with other functions.   And what about your wireless printer?    The above is the tip of an ever growing iceberg, however do we know how to upgrade the software in these devices to protect against identified vulnerabilities?   Do we know whether these devices automatically update or how to change the update settings?   Do we know how to check the version number or when the last update was done?

Microsoft called the recent attack a “wake up call”.   I tend to agree.    We need to be more aware of the implications of the use of each technology item, be it hardware or software.   We need to be aware of the risk to which usage exposes us as well as the precautions which we need to take.

My biggest take away from the whole incident is a reminder of what Nassim Taleb described in “The Black Swan”.   On Thursday 11th May all was well, systems were generally safe and precautions were in place.   Largely we didn’t expect a serious whole world cyber incident.   By the following day it was clear all was not well and that significant vulnerabilities existed.   A global cyber incident was underway.   A lot changed in a day and we didn’t do too well at predicting and preparing for it.    What shape will the next incident take if we can’t predict it?     And are those areas where we believe we are the safest those which are most at risk given we are unable to predict the unexpected?

A cyber learning opportunity

The global cyber attack of yesterday marks a learning opportunity in relation to discussing cyber security with our students.     It is important that our students are aware of the implications of such attacks including the impact and also the measures that can be taken to protect against attacks being successful or at least minimise their impact.

So what are the key learning points to take away from this incident and to discuss with our students:

OS and Software Updates:

One of the key points to take away is ensuring that desktop and server operating systems are regularly updated.  This includes updates and also upgrading of versions, for example upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10.    Older operating systems eventually stop receiving support from those that produced it, meaning that new security flaws which are identified go unaddressed leaving users vulnerable.  Support for Windows XP ended back in 2014 so users of XP would be vulnerable to flaws identified between then and now.     For more modern operating systems such as Windows 7 and 10 the key here is the updates.   These updates provide the fixes to security flaws as they are identified and therefore it is important to keep your system updated to make sure vulnerabilities are promptly addressed.      This expands beyond operating systems to application software as well, as equally applications which have not been updated may expose users to vulnerability which the appropriate updates would have addressed.

Data Backup:

In the case of ransomware backup is critical as the virus will encrypt all files it can get access to.  As such at this point you can either pay the ransom which may or may not get you your files back, or, assuming you have kept backups, roll back to your latest backup with only minor loss of data.    As such regular backups represent the best protection against ransomware attacks.   The more regular the backup the less the loss so a weekly backup means a loss of up to a week worth of work, whereas a nightly backup reduces this loss down to 1 day worth of work in the event of a successful ransomware infection.

User Awareness:

The weakest point in the network is usually the user, the human being making use of the system.   An IBM report from 2014 identified that 95% of security incidents involved a human being.    It is unlikely that this figure has changed much.   As such it is important to try and educate users to exercise caution and to be aware of the precautions they should be taking in relation to suspicious emails, password security, etc.

Anti-virus:

While not protecting you against zero day attacks or new variants anti-virus will provide some protection against existing identified threats.   It is also worth noting that new anti-virus products are introducing new capabilities such as heuristic based identification of threats and sandboxing to provide additional protection.

Segmentation:

A key security maxim has always been assignment of minimum privileges required.   This means ensuring that users only have access to the files that they need to have access to in order to carry out their role.    This includes defining whether a user is limited to reading files or can in fact modify or delete them.    This also includes whether users have access to specific networks or whether their access is limited, such as in the case of a guest user.     By limiting access in this way we limit the impact of ransomware or other viruses to some extent.   As such in looking at the resources on our network assigning the minimum privileges is a key step.

Conclusion:

The recent attack is the largest attack I can remember since the Love Bug Virus which I vaguely remember from back in 2000.   It is likely that such attacks will become more common as we become more and more connected and reliant on technology, adding more and more connected devices into our homes and using more and more software apps in our daily lives.   As such, in preparing our students for the future, it is important that we take every opportunity to discuss how these attacks can and do impact on us and how we might all take appropriate precautions.    With the latest incident so widely reported in the news, now is a good time.

 

 

Home network security and digital literacy?

Our home networks have been ever growing.   Originally it was just having a basic network for a PC at home, which at the time was usually just a desktop connected to a dial up connection.    Now however, we have a host of devices, games consoles, personal devices and home appliances all on our home network, all adding to the complexity and therefore the security risk of our home networks.

Following on from our basic dial up connection our home network started to grow, first with the addition of Wi-Fi capability to allow internet access for laptops and also mobile phones.   Next, with the introduction of broadband and fibre, our children might have introduced a gaming system such as a PlayStation or Xbox into the house again linked to the network and the internet.   Next we start introducing networked and then Wi-Fi enabled printers before moving on to add home helper devices such as the Amazon Echo or Google Home.   We might even have added Internet of Things devices to our home network such as remote managed heating and lighting, or an internet enabled fridge freezer or kettle.    Internet enabled, and therefore network connected, surveillance may have been added in the form of a home security system or possibly a baby monitoring system.   The list of network connected home devices continues to grow and with that the complexity of our home networks.   They are now at a point where the complexity of a home network may equal or even exceed that of a small business network.

The issue here is security.      When we pick up our laptop to go on the internet to access our personal banking we assume it is safe to do so due to the various safety features on our laptop and on our Wi-Fi router.     We think about our security largely in terms of separate devices however our network security is largely based on the sum of all devices connected to the network.      Therefore, the more devices we have connected, the more complex the network becomes and the weaker the network security becomes.

Our network security is largely based on the security of the weakest devices.  So have we taken time when connecting a new device to review the available security options and to change the default passwords?    Actually, have we considered security when purchasing the device in the first place?    And in the longer term do we revisit the device and perform updates to ensure that the software on the device is such that any identified vulnerabilities have been addressed?

We talk about digital literacy and how we want our students to be literate in the use of technology however the security aspect of our home networks if largely overlooked.     The question is can you truly be digitally literate if you are using your home network without considering security?   Can you be digitally literate if you happily add additional devices to your home network without concern for the security implications?     Another question is where do we cover these issues in our teaching of digital literacy within schools?

Digital Literacy and big brother

Further to my recent post on digital literacy I thought I would revisit one of the areas I mentioned in a little more detail.    The implications of technology use makes for an interesting discussion with students in that there are some implications which we are well aware of, some that we are less aware of and more than likely a whole heap of implications which we haven’t as yet realised.

Taking the implications which we are currently aware of and discussing online safety, or e-safety as we previously called it, has serious implications and as such is being discussed in schools.    We are already discussing with our students about the dangers of people misrepresenting themselves on the internet, the dangers of posting too much personal information on the internet and fake news, which has been the subject of discussion in schools for some years, again hitting the headlines.   I remember teaching about the spaghetti crop failure as a way to illustrate about fake news some 10 or more years ago.    We are also discussing and teaching about the permanence of online data and how once the post, photo or video is out there it is impossible to delete.    Online privacy and security settings are also a topic of discussion with a particular focus on social media usage among our students.

The above are what I consider to be the main areas of discussion in schools around technology use.    Some lesser consideration is given to the impact of search engines such as google.    As we all use google to search for information, we all end up getting the same search results.    This potentially has the impact to narrow our focus as we seldom look beyond the first few results in google, the results which represent the popular answers.     This in turn might obscure from us alternate lines of thought and resources which previously we may have come upon in a book leading us to explore different pathways and possibly even arrive at alternative or even better solutions.

Sticking with google we also need to recognise the purpose of the site in that Google is a business.   As such they need to make money which they achieve through advertising.    What are the implications of their need to sustain or even increase their revenue on the search results they return, the way the present the results and also their gathering of data in relation to the searches we do?    Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc are all businesses so we need to bear this in mind.

This brings us nicely to another implication in the data gathered about us.    If we are logged in to google when we run a search, and we have location services on then google will have gathered information about us in details of the search, the time and the location.     They can, from this, build a profile of our search habits, our interests, our geographical locations and search habits in different locations and at different times.   From this they may be able to work out where we live, work and socialise including the frewuency of each.     Combined with the search habits of our family members they may then be able to start building a profile of the family.    Are we happy with this?     When I think about it I also give thought to the TV series Criminal Minds where the FBIs Behavioural Analysis team are able to gather basic information from a crime scene before providing a detailed profile of the offender or Unidentified Subject, Unsub, for use by law enforcement in arresting the said Unsub.   Through googles data gathering they can identify a lot about us as individuals and our families, beyond the data they gather, by statistical analysis.     And this extends way beyond just Google with Facebook, Target, Amazon, etc. all gathering “Big Data” for use in statistical analysis for the purposes of identifying trends and profiling.

A bigger question which may be how might the data gathered be used in shaping peoples views and perception.    This was raised in relation to Facebooks coverage of the US elections.    Through profiling of users a site or service may choose to feed users with materials targeted at them in order to change their voting or other preferences.     For example, as a user my profile may show that I am very focussed on human rights, via my search habits and postings on social media, so the service shares with me articles and incidents where the actions of the party which the service do not want me to vote for have infringed on human rights.    At the same time they may show me materials on where the party they want me to vote for have taken noble actions in relation to human rights.     When I find myself ready to put my cross on the voting ballot paper I remember one party which was good in relation to human rights, an area I focus on, while the other party were not.   I therefore tick the form accordingly however how much of my decision was influenced by technology and profiling?   Was it my decision at all?

Looking at emerging technologies, the internet of things (IoT) is definitely growing in profile.   As such more and more devices are being connected to the internet including fitness trackers, home security systems, heating and lighting control and many more systems.   We also have devices such as Amazon Echo and googles equivalent device.    Each of these devices gathers more data about us and our habits.    This data in turn can be used to infer further data about us through statistical methods.  Is this Orwells big brother becoming reality as we introduce more technology into our lives, allowing more and more data to be gathered about all we do?

I am very much for the use of technology.   The key though is in the need to consider the implications and act accordingly.   The world generally, in my opinion, exists in balance and therefore for every gain or benefit of technology there is a flip side, whether we know it or not.     With our students who often eagerly adopt new services and tech for their perceived or advertised benefits the key is the need for us as educators to ensure that they have considered the other side.

 

The internet isn’t working. A disaster?

Yesterday afternoon while sat at home I suddenly started to experience internet issues, with my routers connection being intermittently lost.   I immediately carried out the usual checks to see if I could identify the issue however nothing on the internal network at home seemed to be amiss.   As such it was time to call my network provider to ask them to look into the situation.

Ok, so my first thought was: “time to google their helpline phone number.”

Not a great start given internet wasn’t working plus my home is very much a 4G/Mobile communications black spot.   And so it was I had to rummage through old paperwork in the hope of finding the sky customer service helpline number.    Thankfully I keep my paperwork so it didn’t take too long to find a number and get in contact with the helpline.

Having been told it would be up to 72 working hours before an engineer would be able to look into the issue I was very impressed when a call came through from an engineer only 4 or 5 hours after my initial call.   He promptly arrived and looked into the issue, pronouncing shortly after 5pm that he would need to investigate further and that this would be done the following morning.

And so I found myself, and family, sat without internet over the evening.   I repeatedly found myself in the early parts of the evening, accessing the router to check its status in the hope that internet would have been restored as if by magic.   Upon realising the futility of this I put my devices aside but still found myself periodically reaching for them to check my twitter, email, etc. again in the hope that the internet issue had got bored and resolved itself.    As it was it hadn’t.   In hindsight I cannot see what reason I had for believing my connection might have re-established itself without outside intervention.

The above goes to show how important, going on essential internet is.   I had an issue and the first place I wanted to look for a solution or a contact who might be able to assist was the internet.   Despite clear awareness of the fact the internet wasn’t working I repeatedly, due to habit and learned behaviour, kept reaching for my devices to access the internet.

Have you ever taken time to stop and look at your usage and reliance on technology?   Is this something we need to discuss with our students including the need to “disconnect”?

 

 

Home Tech: Some security tips

Yesterday I sat the ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals exam as part of my programme of continual professional development.   This got me thinking about what tips we might give our students in making their home technology a little bit safer.     As such I came up with the points below:

  • Passwords: This is an obvious one!   Make sure all devices connecting to your network have appropriate passwords set.    The longer the passwords are the better.    Also avoid using passwords across multiple devices and/or web services.
  • Network Devices: Any accessible devices such as Wi-Fi printers, network web cams, etc. represent a possible intrusion point.    It is therefore very important that you check the default settings for devices, especially in relation to the security settings and also any default access passwords, which you should immediately change.
  • Wi-Fi SSID: Make sure your SSID doesn’t give any info away about your router.   By default the SSIDs are usually something like SKY35735 or DlinkWD501 or similar giving hackers a starting point in that they now know the make and possibly the model of the device they are seeking to compromise.    As such it makes sense to change the default password when initially setting up your router.
  • Router Admin Password: The default admin password and username are often set to simply “admin”.  This means once in, a malicious actor can easily take admin control of the router and leave themselves a permanent back door to your network, resources and data.    Another key tip therefore is to change the admin password or both the username and password.
  • Web Admin: By default web admin is usually enabled meaning a user can access the administrative interface of the router via Wi-Fi.    Disabling this means that to access the admin interface a user would need to be physically connected your home network or router thereby reducing the possible access and the associated risk.
  • Wi-Fi Security: Make sure that you have either WPA or preferably WPA2 enabled in your Wi-Fi security settings.   This is all the more important if you have an older router which may still be using WEP or even worse a router where the default is set to Open and therefore no security is applied.

The above are just a couple of tips, of which many more could be added specific to different types of devices, operating systems, manufacturers, etc.    Hopefully the above represents a useful starting point.