Office of Information Technology and Learning Experience

Office of Information Technology and Learning Experience has developed a contact list which can be accessed here.

Behind the Scenes: Impressive Call Center Stats!

The User Support Team is happy to present a comprehensive overview of our customer interactions and support performance from January to September 2023. During this period, we received a total of 22,966 interactions from our students and employees. This article provides an opportunity to look at the data to explore the monthly totals and averages, as well as key performance indicators.

Monthly Averages:

Total Monthly Average Interactions: 2,552
Total Monthly Average Calls Answered: 1,067
Total Monthly Average Emails: 1,286
Total Monthly Average Voicemails: 8.3
Total Monthly Average Chats: 137
Total Monthly Average Incidents during Business Hours:1,080
Total Monthly Average Incidents after Hours: 391

Top 3 Incident Types (Total):

Student Password Reset: 2,283 incidents
Microsoft Online Password Reset: 506 incidents
Multifactor Authentication Assistance with Setup: 172 incidents

Password Resets:

Student: 2,283
Employees: 319

Average Speed to Answer (ASA) Metrics:

Phone ASA: The average speed to answer phone calls was an impressive 13 seconds, well within our goal of 60 seconds or less.
Voicemail ASA: The average speed to answer voicemails was 13 minutes and 34 seconds, meeting our goal of 60 minutes or less.
Email/Web Request ASA: The average speed to answer emails or web requests was 3 minutes and 23 seconds, far surpassing our goal of 60 minutes or less.

Call Abandonment Rate:

The call abandonment rate was only 1.6%, which is significantly better than our target of less than 5%, indicating that customers are experiencing minimal wait times and improved service.

As we progress into the remainder of 2023, we remain committed to delivering exceptional support experiences to all our valued customers. Thank you for your continued trust and support.

Enhancing Information Security - Faculty and Staff Directory Access

As part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a secure digital environment, we want to provide you with important information regarding a recent change to the Faculty and Staff Directory access. This change became effective Oct. 2, 2023.

The decision was made to remove the Faculty and Staff Directory from its current location on the HACC website. Moving forward, this directory will only be accessible through the myHACC portal. We understand that you may have questions about this change, so please let us explain the reasons behind it.

Prioritizing Information Security:

Our utmost concern is the safety of our employees and the protection of sensitive information. The decision to relocate the directory was prompted by several security concerns associated with its previous placement on the public website:

Guarding Against Cyber Threats: The directory's availability on the HACC website allowed hackers to access it and potentially launch phishing or spear phishing attacks. Moving it to the myHACC portal mitigates these risks.
Maintaining Organizational Confidentiality: By extracting job titles and department details, hackers could gain insights into HACC’s organizational structure, posing potential security threats.
Preventing Unauthorized Communications: Directory information could be exploited for email and phone spoofing, which could lead to unauthorized communications or scams.
Ensuring Privacy Protection: Sensitive information, such as degrees obtained and schools attended, was at risk. The move to the myHACC portal addresses these privacy concerns.
Minimizing Unsolicited Communications: The possibility of vendor cold calls and emails, facilitated by accessing web information, is reduced with this change.
Protecting Employee Credentials: With access to the directory, hackers could potentially gather employee login information, posing a direct security risk.

Why the myHACC Portal:

While we aim to offer the best online experience for all users, our primary responsibility is to ensure that the experience is as secure as possible. When considering alternatives, the decision to move the directory to the myHACC portal was driven by the imperative need to effectively address these security concerns. The myHACC portal offers robust security features that significantly diminish the risk of unauthorized access and malicious activities.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we prioritize information security to safeguard your privacy and our institution's integrity. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our IT support team at support@hacc.edu, if you have any questions or concerns.

Your dedication to excellence is greatly valued. Thank you for your continued commitment to HACC's success.

Coming Soon: Upgrade to Microsoft Office 2021

The Information Technology department is excited to announce we are upgrading our current version of Microsoft Office! We know that timing our installations is crucial so this upgrade will begin on Dec.19 after the fall semester has ended and grades have been submitted.

Why are we upgrading?

Because Microsoft Office 2019 is approaching the end of support.

What's New in Windows Office 2021?

Enhanced Security: It provides data security with advanced protection measures to keep your documents and information safe.
Intelligent Writing Assistance: Take advantage of enhanced grammar and writing suggestions to ensure your documents are polished and professional.
Improved Performance: Experience faster load times and smoother operation, allowing you to work more efficiently.
Office theme: Office now matches your Windows theme by default, and they've updated all themes. You can experience the visual refresh in whichever Office theme you prefer, including black (Dark Mode), white, colorful, or dark grey. To change your Office theme, go to File > Account > Office Theme.

What does this mean for you?

On-campus systems will be automatically updated during the regularly scheduled maintenance window.
The upgrade for remote and hybrid systems will be available on Dec. 19 in the Software Center. To access the update, please open Software Center from the Windows Start menu. Click on the Start Menu>Microsoft Configuration Manager>Software Center>Applications.
Installation time will vary based on your Internet provider and connection speed.
Once you begin the installation process, you will not have access to any Office product, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, until the installation is complete. Please ensure your laptop is plugged into a power source before starting. Once started, you must let the installation complete without interruption.
The upgrade will be mandatory during the first weekend of the spring 2024 semester for those who have not completed the upgrade voluntarily prior to that.
Contact the IT Support Center by emailing support@hacc.edu, calling 717-780-2570, or opening a ticket via TDX if you have any questions.

We appreciate your support with these necessary updates.

Be a CyberSmart Holiday Shopper - Use Technology Safely and Securely

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and the Christmas holiday are fast approaching. More people are shopping online than ever before, but everyone needs to be extra cautious to protect themselves from cyber threats, scams, and identity theft.

Here are a few quick tips on how to shop online safely this holiday season:

Beware of Email Offers:

This time of year there is a rise in phishing emails by scammers. Avoid clicking links for too-good-to-be-true offers arriving in email; many will lead you to a malicious website asking you for your credit card information and other personal data. Try to stick with companies you know, and avoid sites you don’t know or look suspicious. Don’t try and save time shopping by clicking on links in an email that appear to take you to your favorite online store. Instead, make sure you type the store’s address straight into your browser.

Check the Web Address:

Phony shopping sites can be hard to tell apart from genuine ones, and even legitimate sites can be hijacked. These fake sites often rely on shoppers mistyping the genuine web addresses (or URLs) of popular websites or clicking on messages from phony vendors who have a similar address. Slow down and check what you’ve clicked or typed. Otherwise, you could end up viewing unsavory content or infecting your device with malware.

Protect Your Bank Details:

When making a payment online, make sure that the website is using encryption to protect your details. You’ll know it’s using encryption if the web address starts with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://), and has a ‘padlock’ icon to the left of the address. Never let a website ‘remember’ your credit card details, always retype them if you want to shop there again.

Don’t Use Your Debit Card:

It may be tempting to pay directly from your checking account, but checking accounts have less protection and it’s much harder to get your money back if you’re scammed by a phony website. If you pay by credit or charge card online, your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act. Use a separate credit card with a small credit limit for online purchases instead of using your debit card.

Verify Your Order:

It’s not uncommon to select more than one item by mistake, or put the wrong house number, or choose the wrong shipping option. You should always double-check the order before you make a payment. A few extra seconds won’t waste your day, and you don’t want to buy a Christmas gift a week before Christmas to later find out that it ships from China in 3 weeks’ time.

Avoid Package Delivery Scams:

With online ordering comes the expectation of packages shipped to your home. Be wary of phony emails notifying you of “delivery failures” with your package. Scammers use logos and templates to trick you into thinking that email is from the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS, or other delivery service. Real emails won’t ask you for personal or financial information, or direct you to download an attachment. If you have questions about a package delivery, review your order details from the shopping site or contact the delivery service directly.

Prevent package thefts by "Porch Pirates":

Porch pirates are thieves who target packages left on porches or front stoops. Sometimes they follow delivery drivers and snatch packages when the driver is out of sight. Other package thefts are simply crimes of opportunity where the thief sees a package sitting on the porch and pounces. To avoid package theft, consider the following suggestions to reduce the chance of becoming a victim:

Use tracking numbers and delivery notifications. Most shipping companies can send you a text or email when the package arrives.
Ask family members, trusted neighbors and friends to accept deliveries on your behalf or to pick up your packages.
Consider having packages delivered to your office or place of employment instead of your home.
Request packages be placed in a less conspicuous spot, such as a side door or behind a planter or garbage can.
Consider alternate delivery options, such as in-store pickup, delivery to your local FedEx or UPS office, or secure kiosks such as Amazon Lockers

Remember the old adage If it’s too good to be true, it probably is – We all love a bargain and cybercriminals know this as well. Don’t fall for the cheap price tag – that free or discounted item could end up being really costly. So if you’ve found the latest hot designer shoes, but for a tenth of the price, regardless of how nice they may be, they’re probably not real. Cybercriminals are experts at creating websites and making them look identical to your favorite brand sites. Only shop at reputable online sites and avoid getting your credit card scammed.

Additional Resources:

For more good information on staying safe online, take a look at the Federal Trade Commission’s tips and video for safe, hassle-free online shopping: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/online-shopping

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