New Help Desk Ticketing System

WhatNew Help Desk Ticketing System
WhenWednesday, January 3, 2024
Who is AffectedAll Users
ActionAwareness Only

The Office of Information Technology has replaced our service request/ticket software to address the many issues we have with Footprints and to improve services for all university users.

Wednesday, January 3, 2024 is the day of the campus cutover to TOPdesk

Key things for you to know: 

  • Our old ticketing system, Footprints, is now offline
  • Tickets, resolutions, and FAQs will be transferred to our new TOPdesk system found at capital.topdesk.net. Please bookmark capital.topdesk.net for future use.
  • If you have an open, unresolved service request, it will be transferred to the new system and work will continue on the issue
  • You can continue to autogenerated a ticket by emailing helpdesk@capital.edu, but the new portal will allow you to more accurately direct your request to the proper department

You can access the new system at capital.topdesk.net, select “Log in to Self Service Portal” and use your Capital username and password.

Faculty and Staff will see this view:

Students will see this view:.

From your Home screen, you can view All IT Services, and select the service you need so that the ticket is routed correctly for the fastest service:

From your Home screen, you can check the status of your open tickets:

IT will send additional communications out over the coming weeks to highlight different features of this new system. 

Thank you, 
Capital University Help Desk 

IT Services Maintenance Update

During the evening of Thursday, 9/7/2023 between 8:00pm and 10:00pm Eastern time IT will be updating our Colleague services (myCap, Colleague UI, etc.) during our normal maintenance hours.

If you are trying to use one of these affected services and see this message we are still working on the maintenance update, please try again in 30 minutes.

Email and Telephone Update

The Department of Information Technology is working diligently to establish full functionality to the institution’s email and telephone infrastructure due to a virus attack.

As of today, all faculty and staff have new Office 365 email accounts in the cloud which can be accessed online for now at https://outlook.office.com. We will be working with the campus soon in sending out information on how to setup and access your email message through the Microsoft Office program on your computer.

We have released and redirected all inbound email messages to your cloud account which was previously stored on our Barracuda spam server as of Friday, August 7th.

Below are our next implementation steps this week for your awareness.  Please be advise that this process is complicated and timely and we appreciate your continued patience as we work out the kinks to establish a successful email work flow.

Please forward any questions, inquiries or concerns to helpdesk@capital.edu and one of our IT professionals will connect with you.

  • PST Files: A PST file is a personal storage table that stores copies of messages, addresses, attachments, calendar events, contact cards and other personal information used in Microsoft Outlook and/or Microsoft Exchange. Your old PST file will hold information prior to the email outage. IT technicians are currently working on extracting and moving all faculty/staff PST files to your email account in the cloud this week.  This is a new procedure that will need to be tested and vetted prior to full implementation, so we appreciate once again, your patience and understanding as we diligently work out the kinks to this process. We will keep you updated as we get closer to implementation.
  • Resource Mailboxes: Now that the email system is officially migrating to the cloud, setup for resource mailboxes will need to be recreated for cloud usage and accessibility. This is due to the way Microsoft currently configures resource mailboxes to run on their servers in their data centers in the cloud. If you had a resource mailbox that you would like for us to recreate and setup in the cloud with permissions, we kindly ask that you submit a request immediately to helpdesk@capital.edu. When sending your request, we ask that you give us the following information:
    • Name of mailbox(es) you need created;
    • Name of all personnel who needs access to it;
    • Info for a primary contact person (prefer cell phone) so that we can work with that person to ensure the mailbox has been created properly and functioning correctly
  • Distribution Groups: A distribution list allows a user to maintain a list of email addresses and send messages to all of them at once. There are two types of distribution lists—static and dynamic:
    • Static: Members of a static distribution list are added and removed manually by the group administrator(s). During the migration process from on premises to cloud, static distribution lists should not need any reconfiguration or changes. However, we ask that you test your list to see if you get a bounce back message and seek assistance with any issues by contacting helpdesk@capital.edu.
    • Dynamic: Dynamic distribution groups are mail enabled active directory group objects that contains a list of users based on a filter/criteria and the number of users can change automatically at any time based on the filter/criteria. Dynamic lists are best for emailing a list of contacts within the organization such as specific majors, minors, alumni or employees.

If you had a dynamic distribution list, you will need to contact IT, helpdesk@capital.edu to have it recreated and deployed to the cloud.  Please provide the following information:

    • Name of your group;
    • Name of primary contact person (prefer cell phone) so that we can work with that person to ensure mailbox has been created properly and functioning correctly;
    • Contact IT if you are unsure of whether your group is static or dynamic
  • Voicemail messages:  The telephone system continues to function on campus, however, voice mail messages to your email account is still not working. We are working to get the voice mail system configured so that all voice mail message are redirecting to your account in the cloud. Departments with voice mail needs should contact the helpdesk@capital.edu for assistance. We have a temporary work around solution that we will implement for you.
  • Additional, you will not be able to access and retrieve any voice mail messages until the voice mail system has been rebuilt and repaired. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Microsoft’s Number Matching Authentication Process

What is Multi-factor Authentication?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) refers to a layered end-user verification strategy to secure data and applications by requiring a user to submit various combinations of two or more credentials to gain access to a system or service.

There are three components of MFA:

  • Something you know — Password, PIN, or passphrase
  • Something you have — OTP (one-time password), verification code, or hard or soft security token
  • Something you are — Biometrics (fingerprint, facial scan, or iris scan)

The Microsoft Authenticator App is traditionally used with a mobile device such as a cell phone for push notifications. This helps you sign into your accounts when you’re using a two-step verification process.

The standard two-step verification method involves two factors: One factor typically being your username and password and a second factor such as a PIN, code or personal biometric.

How Does MFA Work?

Mobile push-notification-based MFA uses “push” notifications to alert a user to review a new MFA
authentication request. The login flow is:

  • The user enters their username and password to authenticate (first factor)
  • The identity platform sends a signal to the app on the user’s phone/mobile device, which generates a notification
  • The user opens and accepts the prompt to approve the request (second factor)

Incorporating both factors makes the sign in process safe and secure, however, malicious cybercriminals continue to find ways to try to bypass MFA. With the adoption of two factor, MFA fatigue spamming attacks have gain popularity and become more prevalent by cybercriminals.

What is MFA Fatigue?

MFA fatigue is a technique where a cybercriminal attempts to gain access to sensitive information by bombarding their victims with repeated two-factor authentication push notifications in hopes of tricking them into authenticating their login attempts.

Cybercriminals will commonly use stolen login credentials obtained from various social engineering methods, including phishing attacks, malware or leaked credentials from data breaches. Cybercriminals who have obtained a user’s password will enter it into an identity platform that uses mobile push-notification-based MFA to generate hundreds of prompts on the user’s device over a short period of time.

The goal is to spam victims to the point where they are annoyed by the constant notifications and will approve one so it will stop. Although it may seem harmless, by doing so, the attacker has effectively bypassed MFA and now has access to their victim’s information and critical infrastructure.

This attempt can be successful, especially when the target victim is distracted or overwhelmed by the notifications or misinterprets them as legitimate authentication requests.

Recent studies show that about 1% of users will accept a simple approval request on the first try. That’s why it’s critical to ensure that users must enter information from the login screen and that they have more context and protection.

What is Changing with the Authenticator App?

Microsoft will enable number matching requirements within the Microsoft Authenticator App by default for all users starting on February 27, 2023.

Number matching is a security upgrade that will discourage MFA fatigue as each push notification generates a unique set of numbers for every login request. Number matching is a setting that forces the user to enter numbers from the identity platform into their app to approve the authentication request.

How Does Number Matching Work?

When a user responds to an MFA push notification using Microsoft Authenticator, they will be presented with a number that the user will be required to type into the App during the sign-in process to complete the approval.

Depending on how Microsoft Authenticator App is configured and the operating system of your mobile device may generate an experience similar to the examples below:

Basic Number Matching: When a user responds to an MFA push notification using Microsoft Authenticator, they will be presented with a number which they need to type into the Authenticator app to complete the approval process.

Geographic Location with Number Matching: When a user receives a Passwordless phone sign-in or MFA notification in the Authenticator app, they’ll see the sign-in location (based on their IP) and number matching information. Type the number that was pushed to your mobile device into the Microsoft Authenticator app to complete the sign in approval process.

Don’t have the Authenticator App?

Download and follow these instructions: Download Microsoft Authenticator App Here

IT Services Holiday Updates – 2022

During the Holiday break – Wednesday, December 21, 2022 through Tuesday, January 3, 2023 – the IT Department will be performing system updates for various services outside of our normal maintenance windows. Many of these updates are simple and will just require a server reboot or two and outages will be brief and intermittent. However, there are a few key systems that will require extended outage time. For those services we will communicate the status below.

 

 
Service Update Status Planned Start Time
Main website Completed Monday 12/19/2022
Skype for Business Completed Thursday 12/22/2022*
File Share Drives Completed Thursday 12/22/2022
Authentication & VPN services Completed Wednesday 12/21/2022
Colleague (myCap, Colleague UI, etc.) Completed Thursday 12/22/2022*
* May carryover to next day

Microsoft Authenticator Setup

Microsoft Authenticator Setup

Download a PDF version of this setup by clicking HERE

Download a Word Document of this setup by clicking HERE

Prefer to watch a video? Get to step 7 first, then visit this link.

What is factor authentication?

Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves.

The first factor will primarily be a computer/laptop and the second factor can be your phone, a verbal call or a text message. Two-factor makes it harder for criminals to break into your account. If you only use a password to authenticate and the password is weak or has been exposed elsewhere, it leaves an insecure avenue for attacks or fraudulent entry.

When you require a second form of ID, security is increased because this additional factor isn’t something that’s easy for an attacker to obtain or duplicate.

How does authentication work?

When you sign into your O365 account, you will receive a prompt for ID verification using one of the following authentication methods:

Something you know, typically a password
Something you have, such as a trusted device like a phone
Something you are, such as biometrics like a fingerprint

You can authenticate your second factor several ways, however, we strongly encourage you to use the Microsoft Authenticator App if your phone is able to utilize it. It is the fastest verification option allowing you to just tap approve on your phone and adds an extra layer of security.

The Microsoft Authenticator app will function and generate new codes every 30 seconds even when you don’t have cellular coverage.

Can two factor be hacked?

Although it is possible for two-factor authentication to be hacked, the odds are very low and 2FA is certainly the best practice when it comes to keeping accounts and systems secure.

One way two-factor authentication could be hacked happens through the SMS method or, in other words, the method by which a one-time use code is sent to a user’s phone number via SMS or an automated phone call.

This is why we recommend using the Microsoft Authenticator app because it adds extra security and codes are contained within the app.

There have been stories of hackers tricking mobile phone carriers into transferring someone else’s phone number to their own phone. The hackers contact the carriers pretending to be their victims, requesting a new SIM with the victim’s number. They then have access to any authentication code sent to that phone number. Called SIM swapping, this is probably the most common way of getting around 2FA.

But carriers’ own security processes are improving and even acknowledging those risks, 2FA remains a strong and essential tool in the fight against cyber-attacks and identity fraud.

Pre-Requisite

In order to use multi-factor authentication with your Capital account, you will need to ensure the following pre-requisites are met:

  • You have a phone that can receive SMS texts and/or download the Microsoft Authenticator app
  • Have a computer with Office 2016 (or higher) installed
  • Internet access to complete the setup

What if I don’t own a phone or my phone doesn’t work with the app?

If you don’t have a phone or your phone can’t use the authenticator app, you can use a mobile device like your university iPad. Install the Microsoft Authenticator app on the iPad. You will need to keep the iPad with you at all times to authenticate.

You can also receive verification codes via text or receive a voice call to your cell, home or office line. Instructions on how to set this up can be found HERE.

What other factors can I use to authenticate?

Verification methodDescription
Phone callSign into your 0365 account from your computer. A call from Microsoft to your phone asking you to verify that it is you signing in. Press the # key on your phone to complete the verification process.
Text messageSign into your 0365 account from your computer. A text message from Microsoft is sent to a your mobile phone with a 6-digit code. Enter this code to complete the verification process.
Microsoft Authenticator App (Passwordless)Sign into your 0365 account from your computer. Microsoft sends a verification request to your mobile app on your phone asking you to Verify or Approve to complete verification process. This needs to be setup.
Code Generator with Microsoft Authenticator AppSign into your 0365 account from your computer. Microsoft sends a verification request to your mobile app asking for the generated verification code. Code changes every 30 seconds. Use this code to sign into your account.

Getting started

  1. If you will be using the Microsoft Authenticator app, you should download and install the app to your cell or mobile device (iPad) first. Visit the app store for your operating system and download for either Android and iOS devices. Setup instructions can be found HERE. You can also watch a video HERE.
  2. Go to your PC and open this link in your web browser – https://aka.ms/mfasetup. This will prompt you to pick a Microsoft account. Select your Capital email account.                                                         
  3. You will be re-direct to the “Capital Gate” sign in page. Enter your Capital email address or username along with your password and click Sign in.

Follow the instructions in the help document to complete registration of 2FA HERE.

What if I need help?

Contact the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@capital.edu or 614-236-6508. We are here to help if you have questions or a special situation that would require our assistance.

IT Services Holiday Updates – 2021

During the Holiday break – Monday, December 20, through Friday, December 31 – the IT Department will be performing system updates for various services outside of our normal maintenance windows. Many of these updates are simple and will just require a server reboot or two and outages will be brief and intermittent. However, there are a few key systems that will require extended outage time. For those services we will communicate the status below.

 
Service Update Status Planned Start Time
Main website Completed Monday 12/20/2021
Skype for Business Completed Evenings of 12/19/2021*
File Share Drives Completed Tuesday 12/21/2021
VPN services Completed Thursday 12/23/2021
Colleague (myCap, Colleague UI, etc.) Completed Wednesday 12/29/2021*
* Starting after 7pm
* May carryover to next day

 

 

Cable TV Locations On Campus

Building Name

Location

Blackmore Library Basement, IT Help Desk
Capital Apartments Basement Lounge
Capital Center 2nd Floor Moe Lounge
College Avenue 1st Floor Lobby

3rd Floor Lobby

Cotterman Hall 1st Floor East Lounge

1st Floor West Lounge

2nd Floor Center Lounge

3rd Floor Center Lounge

Facilities 1st Floor Main Office
Law School 1st Floor Commons Lounge
Lohman Complex Hall Basement Lounge

1st Floor Lobby

1st Floor, Room 101

2nd Floor, Room 202

3rd Floor, Room 303

Public Safety 1st Floor Dispatch Office
Saylor Ackerman Hall Basement Lounge

2nd Floor Lounge

3rd Floor, Rm 318

Triple Lounge

Schaaf Hall 1st Floor Lobby

2nd Floor, Rm 270

2nd Floor, Rm 298

3rd Floor, Rm 370

3rd Floor, Rm 398

Student Union 1st Floor Lobby

1st Floor Denvy Bowman Lounge

1 Main Café’

Mezz Fitness Center

Trinity 3rd Floor Lounge, Rm 320
Troutman Hall 1st Floor Business Lounge

 

Alternatives to Cable TV

Alternatives to Cable TV Services

There are many online streaming service providers, however, here are some of the most common self pay services.

Self Pay Service Providers Cost Per Month*
Sling TV:

Sports, news, and entertainment with 30+ channels, 80k+ shows and movies on-demand.

Two channel line up options available: Orange and Blue for $35 each. No current student discount available. For more information, go to: SlingTV
Amazon Prime Student:

Access Amazon’s streaming catalog of TV shows, movies, free unlimited photo storage with Prime Photo, and two-day Prime shipping. Electronic textbook rentals, Amazon music unlimited and Kindle unlimited at a low additional cost.

Six-month free subscription with the option to cancel anytime. $6.49/month after six-month trial as long as you are a student. Go to AMAZON for more information.
Hulu Student Discount:

Full access to Hulu’s original streaming library of movies, kid’s shows, and TV shows. This subscription is ad-supported. Also includes Spotify premium service.

Hulu’s standalone plan is $1.99/month if you are a student. This subscription rate cannot be combined with the Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN). More info here: https://www.hulu.com/student
Disney Plus and Disney Bundle:

Unlike other streaming services, Disney Plus does not offer student discounts or free trials.  Students can subscribe to either Disney+ only or take advantage of the Disney bundle which includes Hulu, ESPN and Disney+.

The Disney+ standalone plan is $7.99/month and the Disney Plus bundle is available for $13.99/month. More info here:  https://www.disneyplus.com/welcome
Paramount Student Discount:

Watch everything from live-streamed sports to hit shows from MTV, Comedy Central, CBS news and more. This subscription applies only to their limited commercial plan, similar to Hulu.

Students can get 25% off Paramount’s regular monthly subscription plan of $4.99/month. Go to PARAMOUNT for more info.
YouTube Premium Student Discount:

Students can get ad-free unlimited videos and music with a YouTube Premium subscription.

The student plan is $6.99/month with a free 1-month trial. More info here:  https://www.youtube.com/premium/student
*Please Note: Changes in services and pricing can occur at any time at the service provider’s discretion and without notice.

There are many FREE online streaming service providers, however, here are some of the most common services.

FREE Service Providers
Sling TV Free:

Free live TV and on demand content

Visit: https://www.sling.com/deals/sling-free or https://www.sling.com/supported-devices/sling-free for info on supported devices.
AppleTV+:

Access to Apple’s original catalog of TV shows, movies, series, documentaries, and comedies

Free subscription with your new university issued iPad device.
Peacock TV:

Free TV, movies, TV series, news and on demand content

Visit www.peacocktv.com for more details. Registration may be required.
Roku Channel:

Free live TV, movies, TV series and on demand content

Visit: https://therokuchannel.roku.com for more details. Registration may be required.
Crackle:

Free movies, TV series and on demand content

Visit: https://www.crackle.com/ for more details. Registration may be required.
Pluto TV:

Free live TV, movies and on demand content

Visit: https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pluto-tv-crime-movies for details. Registration may be required.
Tubi:

Free TV, movies and on demand content

Visit: https://tubitv.com/home for more details. Registration may be required.
Plex:

Free live TV, movies and on demand content

Visit: https://www.plex.tv/ for more details. Registration may be required.
IMDbTV:

Free movies, TV series and on demand content

Visit: https://www.imdb.com/tv/ for more details. Registration may be required.

Questions, inquiries and concerns about cable services should be directed to the IT Helpdesk via email helpdesk@capital.edu.

Cable TV Services

Modification of Cable TV Services

In response to changing student and university needs, Capital University will be modifying its standard cable TV services on the Bexley campus. Cable services provided by Spectrum, will be discontinued in residence hall rooms, academic spaces and Trinity North apartments beginning Fall semester 2021.

New cable service and programming will be designated to community areas in residence halls and key academic spaces on campus to provide programming that fosters community building, student success and enhance the student experience. Programming will be revised as the technology and educational needs change.

Why is this Happening?

The decision to discontinue cable services was based on multiple factors:

• Increased investment in network infrastructure, wireless technology, and increased bandwidth service on all campuses.

• A survey of our residential students overwhelmingly indicated they do not watch traditional cable TV services from Spectrum. The majority watched TV programming using an online service provider such as Hulu or Netflix.

• Decreasing cable TV usage within the educational setting and increasing cable costs were not financially beneficial to meet the needs or demands.

Alternatives to Cable TV Services

If you are a student, you can take advantage of all the student discounts and subscriptions available by registering with your “.edu” email address.

Most streaming service providers will let you stream for free for the first few months, and you will be eligible for a student discount after your free trial ends. Many will also offer ad-free viewing, unlimited access to exclusive content, and partnerships with popular music libraries like Spotify. Additionally, there are some streaming services available for free.

Click HERE for a list of common online streaming services and content available.

What Streaming Devices Can I Use?

Streaming services will work on majority of mobile devices, such as iPads, Firesticks, Roku, laptops, tablets, smart TVs, gaming devices and cellular phones.

Ensure that you connect your device to the Capital network correctly to benefit from these services. Instructions for connecting your device to the network can be found HERE.

Where Can I View Cable TV Programming?

Cable TV services and programming can be viewed in residence halls common areas and designated academic buildings across the Bexley campus. Click HERE for a complete list of locations.

What is the New Channel Line Up?

Spectrum has provided Capital with cable programming that includes a variety of channel favorites such as the Big Ten Network, TLC, BET, The Food Network and CNN just to name a few.  A complete channel line up list can be view HERE.

Where Can I Get Help?

Questions, inquiries and concerns about cable services should be directed to the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@capital.edu.