Outlook Users – Changes to Password Reset Process

From: Hamami Oren
Sent: Wed 2/24/2010 1:18 PM
Subject: Changes to Password Reset Process

Dear Outlook Users:

Last year around this time we reached out to you and asked for your help in securing and protecting your DOE identity by making use of the Password Recovery and Account Confirmation Tool (PRACT)  to validate that the email account on record was in fact the email account that you used. I am pleased to advise that the overwhelming majority of you took this seriously as over 110,000 user accounts have been confirmed via the tool. Thank you all for your help!

In a continuing effort to ensure that proper measures are in place to secure and protect DOE user identities we are at a point where we need to move forward with the next steps, by having ALL DOE Outlook password resets done via the PRACT website. While many of you are already using the PRACT website to do this, there are still a fair amount of calls that come into the Service Desk for Outlook password resets. Even though we have implemented additional security measures at the Desk, there still exists the exposure of the wrong ID being reset and we need to address this. Effective March 1, 2010, for calls that are placed to the Service Desk for Outlook Password resets, the Service Desk will provide users with the link for the PRACT website and ask that you log on and reset your password via this means.  For your convenience there is a step by step guide that walks you through using the tool available on the web page. In the event that the application does not recognize your credentials there is an option on the tool that will allow you to open an incident and one of our Security Analysts will contact you and provide assistance with identifying and resolving  your issue so you can safely use the tool in the future.  The Password Recovery and Account Confirmation Tool is currently available to DOE employees.  Non-employees, such as consultants, will be brought on-line in the future and should continue to contact the Help Desk for password resets.

In order to use the PRACT website you will need to know the following: your last name, the last 4 digits of your Social Security number and your Employee ID  Note that this is not your file number. The Employee ID is a unique seven character number assigned to every employee via the Human Resource process and is listed as the “reference number” on your pay stub.  Instructions for locating your Employee ID can be found on the PRACT web page or by contacting HR Connect @ 718-935-4000.  Also, as part of the confirmation process you will be asked to review and accept the DOE Internet Acceptance Use Policy (IAUP).

There are a number of different ways in which this tool can be accessed:

·       by clicking “Forgot your UserID or Password? Click here” from the Outlook Web Access login page

·       by browsing directly to https://idm.nycenet.edu/selfservice <https://idm.nycenet.edu/selfservice>  link.

·       by being redirected to this link automatically by Outlook Web Access when your password expires (every 90 days).

Again we thank you for your support and cooperation, in helping minimize the potential exposure for identity theft in the DOE environment.

Oren Hamami

Chief Information Security Officer

Division of Instructional and Information Technology

New York City Department of Education

ohamami@schools.nyc.gov