News from the ITS Help Desk - May 2026

ITS processed 426 tickets during April 2026 while continuing preparations for the upcoming student Microsoft tenant merge occurring after commencement in May. ITS is also reminding users to remain cautious following the recent Instructure cybersecurity incident involving the group known as “ShinyHunters,” as follow-up phishing emails may attempt to exploit concern surrounding the breach. Any suspicious emails referencing the incident should be forwarded to phish@hancockcollege.edu and deleted.

Help Desk Hours and Location

Contact the ITS Help Desk at 1(805)922-6966 extension 3345 or at helpdesk@hancockcollege.edu
The ITS Help Desk is located in the library on the Santa Maria campus, next to the checkout counter.

Scheduled In-Person Support Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Outside scheduled hours or Friday: Available by appointment

If emergency assistance is needed, please call the ITS Support Extension at 3345.

Essential Articles and Ticket Requests

• Changes to Student m365 Accounts Spring 2026

• Article - How to Handle Extortion Emails

Updates from Technology Council and Committees

• Web Services Committee
  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st Thursday, from 9:30-11:00 am.
  • Update: Continuing improvement of portal links and site pages.
• Educational Technology Advisory Committee (EdTAC)
  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday, from 2:30-4:00 pm.
  • No Update
• Banner Committee
  • Schedule: Meetings are held monthly, usually on the 2nd Monday, from 9:00 - 10:30 am.
  • Update: 5/3/26 Banner Upgrades Completed
• Technology Council
  • Schedule: Meetings are held bi-monthly, usually on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday, from 2:30-4:00 pm.
  • Update: Technology Council has begun research for the next Technology Master Plan. Current Master Plan

Upcoming Student Tenant Merge - 5/22/26

Allan Hancock College will be transitioning student Microsoft 365 accounts (Outlook email, OneDrive, and Office apps) to a new environment during the week following commencement in May 2026. This change is part of an ongoing effort by ITS to improve system performance, security, and long-term reliability.

👥 Who Is Affected

This transition applies only to student accounts.
Employee accounts will not be impacted and will continue to function normally.

📅 Key Date to Know

• May 22, 2026 – Data Deadline
  • Students must save any important data before this date.

⚠️ What This Means for Students

While usernames, email addresses, passwords, and MFA settings will remain the same, student mailboxes and OneDrive storage will be completely reset in the new system.

👉 After the transition:

• Email inboxes will be empty.
• OneDrive will be empty.
• Previous data will not be recoverable.

💾 What Students Need to Do Now

Students should review and save any important content immediately.

This includes:

• Emails and attachments.
• Documents and files stored in OneDrive.
• Any academic or personal data they wish to keep.

Recommended Storage Options:

• External USB or hard drive.
• Locally on a personal device.

After the transition, students can upload their saved files back into their new OneDrive if desired.

💻 Student Loan Device Update – Action Required Before May 22

As part of the upcoming Microsoft 365 student account transition, all Windows laptops currently used for student checkout or loan programs must be collected and submitted to ITS for required reconfiguration.

📌 Why This Matters

These devices are currently joined to the student Microsoft environment, which will be retired following the migration.

To ensure continued functionality, all student loan laptops must be:

• Unenrolled from the current tenant
• Reconfigured and enrolled into the new environment

Failure to complete this process will result in devices that:

• Cannot properly authenticate
• Lose access to college resources
• Require additional remediation after the transition

📅 Deadline to Submit Devices

• All devices must be turned in by May 22, 2026

Early submission is strongly encouraged to allow adequate processing time.

📦 What You Need to Do

If your department manages student loan laptops:

• Gather all Windows laptops used for student checkout
• Coordinate return of devices at the end of the term
• Submit devices to the ITS Help Desk

📍 Drop-Off Location:
Santa Maria Campus Library – ITS Help Desk

🔄 What ITS Will Do

ITS will:

• Remove devices from the current student tenant
• Reconfigure and enroll them into the appropriate environment
• Prepare devices for continued use after the transition

Instructure Security Incident and Follow-Up Phishing Awareness

Instructure, the company behind Canvas, recently confirmed a cybersecurity incident involving the hacking group known as “ShinyHunters.” While investigations are ongoing, incidents like this are commonly followed by phishing campaigns targeting affected organizations and users.

ITS would like to remind all faculty, staff, and students to remain cautious of unexpected emails claiming to be from:

• ShinyHunters
• “hackers” demanding payment
• individuals claiming to possess stolen information
• supposed security researchers requesting action
• emails directing you to click links or open attachments related to the incident

These follow-up emails are often designed to create panic and trick recipients into revealing passwords, downloading malware, or providing sensitive information.

If you receive suspicious emails related to this incident:

1. Do not click links or open attachments.
2. Forward the email to phish@hancockcollege.edu for review.
3. Delete the email after forwarding it.

As always, ITS recommends:

• Using unique passwords
• Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication where available
• Remaining cautious of urgent or threatening email messages

If you believe you may have interacted with a suspicious message, contact ITS immediately through or by emailing ithelp@hancockcollege.edu.

April 2026 Ticket Summary

Here’s a brief overview of ITS activity:
Total Tickets (Whole Department)

• February: 438
• March: 436
• April: 426

Location-less Tickets

242 tickets had no location specified.

Lompoc Valley Campus (LVC) Tickets

36 tickets originated from the Lompoc Valley Campus.

Top 5 Forms Used at LVC:

1. Something Broke: 15
2. Install Something: 10
3. Audio/Visual Event Request: 5
4. Problem Form: 2
5. Surplus Pick Up: 1

5 Most Common Request Locations:

1. LVC 1: 13
2. LVC 5: 13
3. LVC 2: 6
4. LVC 3: 3
5. LVC 6: 1

Only 4 unique buildings submitted ticket requests

Santa Maria Valley Campus (SM) Tickets

147 tickets originated from the Santa Maria Valley Campus.

Top 5 Forms Used at SM Campus:

1. Something Broke: 89
2. Install Something:  20
3. Audio/Visual Event Request: 15
4. Incident Form: 8
5. Problem Form: 6

5 Most Common Request Locations:

1. Building L: 19
2. Building A: 17
3. Building C: 16
4. Building B: 12
5. Building M: 11

📈 Executive-Level Summary

 

• 426 total tickets were submitted in April 2026.
• 242 tickets (57%) lack location data.
• Santa Maria Campus: 147 tickets (~35%)
• Lompoc Valley Campus: 36 tickets (~8%)
• The “Something Broke (iPaaS)” form dominates usage:
  • ~61% of Santa Maria tickets
  • ~42% of LVC tickets
• Highest activity buildings: L, A, C, B (Santa Maria)

This newsletter was prepared with assistance from an AI-based writing and research tool to help organize information, improve clarity, and support effective campus communication.