During the change implementation, some computer system applications may get impacted and you may not be able to sign in for that period. The task is planned for two upcoming, planned IT Maintenance Days – Sunday 27 November and Sunday 11 December.

The following applications may be impacted because of scheduled IT maintenance.

As part of the ongoing vital program of work to protect the University from cyber threats, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is being gradually rolled out to Macquarie business information systems. MFA has recently been implemented for some of the critical applications like Workday, Basware, AppStream, Qualtrics & Protecht.

The additional security of MFA means that the University information and business processes within the university network have a higher level of protection from account compromise and ransomware attacks.

Upcoming MFA enforcements:

• From 19th October 2022 for all staff using Concur and Adobe Sign/Creative Cloud via Okta Single Sign-on (SSO) when they connect from outside the MQ University campus network.

Links to set up information guides are available on Staff Portal – Staff FAQ (mq.edu.au)

TechBar is the physical space at 18 Wally’s Walk for students and staff to visit to get onsite IT Help. You can find the TechBar immediately to the right hand side of the entrance onto the ground floor of 18WW.

 IT Help is still also available for staff and students through the IT Service Desk who can be contacted by:

• Phone – Direct: +61 2 9850 HELP (4357) or Australian toll-free: 1 800 MQ HELP (1800 67 4357)
• E-mail – help@mq.edu.au
• ONEHELP tickets– for Requests and Issues

Pictured: an example of posters displayed on campus

Text message (SMS) scams

The number of scam messages sent via SMS has been particularly high. The tone of these messages is similar to email scams that push urgency, threatening delays, loss, or embarrassment. These messages will almost always include a link to a website that prompts you to download an app or enter your username and password. Do not click the link.

Scam message themes include package delivery, Zoom meeting details, personal video alerts, and even COVID-19 test results.

Phone call and voicemail scams

Scams delivered through direct calls to mobile numbers and via voicemail have also been increasing. These scams may imitate the police, a bank’s fraud department, a PC support company (like Microsoft) or your broadband or phone provider. These scammers will often tell you that you have to install investigation software on your computer such as TeamViewer or UltraViewer. Do not install any software. Call the IT service desk if in doubt.

Scam message themes include saying that your computer has been hacked, your computer or internet is running slow, and even threats of arrest.

Tips for protecting yourself from scams

• Don’t respond or click on a link if you do not recognise the number the message was sent from
• Validate callers from well-known organisations by saying that you will call them back on a published and well-known phone number
• Don’t install software at the request of a caller
• If you fall for a scam, immediately disengage, uninstall any applications installed as a part of the scam, and reset all passwords used on the affected device and elsewhere

As always, keep your devices secure and protected

• Regularly update software
• Use strong and unique passwords, reset them if compromised
• Use antivirus to detect and block malicious applications

The IT service desk is here to help. Call them on (02) 9850 4357 or email help@mq.edu.au

(1) In a nutshell, my job is to…
Fix IT issues, with the help of my IT colleagues.

(2) The question I hear most often in my work is…
“While you’re here…”

(3) The thing I find most rewarding in my role is…
Helping people resolve their IT problems – small, niggly issues are always rewarding to fix.

(4) This year I want to…
Travel more:  domestically this year, internationally in the years to come.

(5) A place that’s special to me is…
At home with my wife and kids.

(6) My guilty pleasure is…
Ice cream! Mint choc is my favourite at present.

(7) I’m scared of…
Snakes.

(8) My hidden talent is…
Sewing. Mainly buttons.

(9) Something I’ve never done but wanted to try is…
Unicycling.

(10) A moment I’ll always remember…
The births of my son and daughter.

We asked the Digital Team to tell us what Macquarie staff search for most often on the University’s staff portal. Consider it your Macquarie web cheat sheet – get your bookmarks ready!

1. ‘Jobs’
   mq.edu.au
2. ‘policy central’
   https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central
3. ‘furniture’
   https://staff.mq.edu.au/support/office-and-property-services/equipment-and-furniture
4. ‘timesheet’
   For academic casual staff / For professional casual staff
5. ‘enterprise agreement’
   https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/enterprise-agreement
6. ‘printer’
   https://staff.mq.edu.au/support/technology/print
7. ‘pdr’
   https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/development/performance
8. ‘important dates’
   https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
   (plus the all-important payday dates can be found here)
9. ‘english language requirements’
   https://www.mq.edu.au/study/international-students/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements
10. ‘security’
    https://www.mq.edu.au/about/campus-services-and-facilities/security

As Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the past six months, David has made a strong contribution to major transformational change initiatives currently underway across the University.

“The role of CIO is pivotal to the University and our IT systems provide fundamental campus-wide support,” said Tim Beresford, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

“I am confident David can lead the program of work, and that he will bring some unique perspectives and insights given his diverse experience.”

As an executive leader who thrives on implementing business transformation, David brings over 20 years of experience gained across a wide spectrum of industries including financial services, education and airlines.

Prior to joining Macquarie, David has previously held executive roles around the globe and since moving to Sydney, he has worked for some of Australia’s most iconic brands including Qantas, ANZ and the Macquarie Group.

“I am extremely proud to be joining Macquarie University at what is an amazing time for all of us,” he said.

“There are huge opportunities for the IT Function to help enable the vision set out in Framing of Futures and I am looking forward to leading the team on this journey.”

“….and the winner of the NSW State iAward in the Community Services category is HSC Study Lab!”

This  announcement was met with whoops of excitement from AccessMQ staff representing the University at the recent NSW iAwards.

Hosted by the Australian Information Industry Association  (AIIA), the awards recognise ICT innovations that have a positive impact on the community.

AccessMQ’s product – HSC Study Lab – applies a new delivery method for existing science curriculum presented on an innovative platform that features video lessons, interactive activities, simulators and HSC-style practice questions. More than 800 teachers use the resource, and more than 7500 user licenses have been accessed across the state by students and teachers.

“The aim is to raise the interest and knowledge in sciences in high school students and ultimately increase the size of the population who applies to study and pursue a career in science,” says Krista Borg, Director of Development and Partnerships at AccessMQ.

The team now moves on to the National iAwards on 1 September to compete against winners from other states.

“It’s a real honour to represent not only the University but also New South Wales in these awards. Through our HSC Study Lab, we are not only reaching metro students but also students in rural and remote areas. It’s a great way to get the pioneering Macquarie brand out into the community,” says Krista.

Best of luck to the team at the national awards!

Ever wondered how OneHelp works, who uses it, and the variety of requests that are managed via OneHelp? Well, the wait is over!

Macquarie University’s OneHelp is an interactive, self-service online request tracker for both IT and non-IT related requests.

OneHelp is used by a variety of Faculties and Offices across the University to manage workflows and ensure issues are resolved efficiently and responses are faster and more consistent. Anyone with a OneID can access OneHelp.

Here are a few examples of tickets raised through OneHelp and the teams that manage them:

• I have a new starter and need to order a computer for them.
  Desktop support queries are forwarded to your local IT support teams.
• I have financial delegation and require access to financial systems.
  The finance team will seek appropriate approval and process this request.
• I’m convening a unit and would like assistance in setting up the unit in iLearn.
  This request will go to the Learning and Teaching group.
• I have forgotten my OneID password.
  This is managed by the IT Service Desk.
• I would like to create a new webpage and branded merchandise.
  Group Marketing manages all website content, advertising, branded assets and image requests.
• I am hosting an event on campus and would like to request a Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country.
  This request is managed by the Indigenous Group.

To log issues and requests head to onehelp.mq.edu.au using your OneID and password to log on. Once an issue or request is logged, this raises a ticket number which is used to track the progress through to completion, which includes automatic email notification and status updates.

You can check the status of your ticket by clicking on ‘My Tickets’, or by using the search function at the top of the page. You can also use the search function to find categories in the growing knowledge base.

Top tip – Sending an email to onehelp@mq.edu.au with the ticket number in the subject line of the email automatically updates the ticket.

Tell me more

• For a more detailed overview of OneHelp, go to mq.edu.au/onehelp/
• There are a host of user videos guides to visually guide you through how to navigate, log a request, raise an issue, view tickets and approve or reject tickets.
• Got a burning question? Check out the FAQs section.
• Was your question not covered, or would you like to use OneHelp for your workflow? Contact the IT Service Desk on (02) 9850 HELP (x4357), email onehelp@mq.edu.au, or visit the IT Service Desk located in C5C.

Of course, you can always phone your IT Service Desk as normal. This is the recommended method for raising any time-critical issues.

Underpinning all our work on a day-to-day basis are our information technology systems and processes. An extensive review process has highlighted the need for us to effect a step change to enable us to build and enhance our capability in this area. This is necessary in order to match the needs of a fast-paced and ever-changing teaching, learning and research environment that serves a diverse range of digitally informed audiences with an ‘anytime anywhere any device’ expectation of technology.

Last week a workplace change proposal was sent to impacted parties, proposing a new structure for IT that is designed to build and enhance our capability. The proposed change looks at shifting from a product-oriented focus to one that is service-oriented and better leveraging cloud to replace ageing technology. The change does not propose a reduction in investment, in recognition of the vital role effective, efficient and agile IT support plays in any large and growing organisation.

At the heart of the proposed change is a new organisational structure that addresses functionality gaps and reorientates the IT Department towards meeting the University’s technology demands and service requirements while supporting the achievement of its strategic goals. It highlights the need to adopt new models of service delivery in context of new and developing technologies such as mobile, cloud and virtualisation.

Consultation on these proposed changes with centralised IT teams is currently underway (faculties and entities are out of scope). An implementation plan is expected to be released from 16 May, subject to feedback. Updates will be provided in the coming weeks.