Austin Community College District (ACC) completed its districtwide Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) rollout for students, marking a significant step forward in the institution’s ongoing efforts to strengthen digital security and protect campus data.

The rollout, which kicked off on September 28, extended mandatory secondary verification—already required for faculty and staff—to the entire student body. The added layer of defense protects critical platforms including Blackboard, ACCmail, and Zoom against unauthorized access, safeguarding student identities, personal records, and financial aid disbursements.

National security research indicates that MFA blocks more than 99.2% of automated account compromise attacks, dramatically curbing phishing threats across higher education institutions.

“Protecting our students and keeping their data safe is at the core of what we do, and this rollout was a powerful demonstration of our collective commitment to putting students first,” said Emilie Kunze, Information Security Director. “This is a historic win for ACC.”

Keys to Success

The initiative was made possible through cross-collaboration across Academic Affairs, Academic Technology, College Relations & Marketing, Information Technology, Student Affairs,  the Student Helpline, and front-line campus support teams. 

The team took a student-centric approach, focusing on clear communication and proactive support to ensure a seamless transition. 

On-site staff provided personalized 1-on-1 assistance, walking students step-by-step through the setup process. Additionally, more than 60 IT staff volunteered to take calls that week to support our students.

Despite the scale of the initiative, the rollout achieved high rates of student self-enrollment, keeping call center volumes and in-person assistance traffic lower than initially projected across campuses.

Navigating Challenges

To ensure uninterrupted learning, project leads tailored the implementation process for specific groups:

  • Dual Credit and Early College High School (ECHS): Workflows were modified for more than 8,000 high school students enrolled in ACC courses to protect school district partnerships and prevent class disruptions.
  • Testing Centers: Specialized guidelines were established in coordination with campus testing facilities to maintain security without hindering student test-taking procedures.

Building a Foundation for Future Security Efforts

The successful student MFA launch serves as a key pillar in ACC’s broader cybersecurity strategy. The Information Security Office is using the momentum from this milestone to advance several next-generation security initiatives:

  • Identity Infrastructure Modernization (eID): Replacing legacy identity systems with upgraded eID systems to strengthen overall system security.
  • Fraud Prevention & Ghost Student Mitigation: Deploying new technology additions and detection tools (ex:  phishing detection)  specifically designed to identify fraudulent activity, mitigate “ghost student” enrollments, and protect College resources.
  • Enhancing Student Data Protection: Establishing clear lifecycle policies and automated removal of former student Google Workspace accounts to  prevent unmonitored account compromise, and reinforces strict data privacy standards across college systems.
  • AI Governance & Security: Partnering closely with College leadership and the AI TRUST Committee to establish guardrails, policies, and secure frameworks so the campus community can safely leverage emerging AI tools.
  • Infrastructure Hardening: Expanding regular software updates and strengthening system defenses across campus infrastructure to defend against emerging cyber threats.

Next Steps

Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. Please watch for communications regarding our ongoing security initiatives. Your active participation is essential to maintaining a safe and secure digital environment for our institution.