Simplifying Active Directory Password Resets

Oxford Computer Group recently worked with an educational institution seeking to empower non-technical staff to reset Active Directory passwords for students without relying on the helpdesk whenever a password was forgotten. This reliance had been causing an excessive workload for the help desk prompting the need for a more cost and time-effective solution.

It was neither feasible nor appropriate for students to manage their passwords independently (not least as some of them were young) and staff could not use tools such as ‘Active Directory Users and Computers’ due to their lack of expertise and the broad access such tools allow.

In response to this challenge, Oxford Computer Group developed a bespoke, user-friendly, but restricted user management portal. This enabled non-technical staff to log in (using Multifactor Authentication (MFA) and Single Sign On (SSO)), and easily reset passwords for those students to whom they had access.

The outcome has been satisfied, confident, empowered staff, and a streamlined process for students to obtain new passwords. It has alleviated the burden (and therefore cost) on the helpdesk and reduced turnaround time making it a win/win for all involved. In addition to these human factors, the overall system security has been improved by placing password resets in the hands of the staff who know the students personally.

If you would like to find out more, contact us now.