The 2020 Division of Information Technology Annual Report, entitled Prepared. Focused. Resilient., chronicles ways the health, safety and technology of the campus were protected and secured during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stories include:

Prepared.

• Network attacks against the university plummeted at the onset of the pandemic then increased to almost 10 times pre-lockdown levels. The heightened threat level remained manageable thanks to the Cyber Security Integration (CSI) tool developed by the division.
• The division helped researchers face the challenges of 2020 with two platforms designed to harness the full potential of cloud-based resources: the Secure Technologies for Aggie Researchers (STAR) and Aggie Innovation Platform (AIP).
• Texas A&M's Assistant Chief Information Officer (ACIO) program not only increased IT communication across the university, but strengthened the pandemic response of participating colleges and divisions.

Focused.

• In partnership with TAMU Health, the division developed a COVID-19 dashboard for the campus community.
• When the university announced the return of in-person classes for Fall 2020, the Division of IT worked with university leaders to ensure social distancing by finding and outfitting many non-traditional spaces for learning
• To deter the spread of COVID when students returned to campus, the Division of IT set up "social distancing stations" at 15 sites across campus, with tables and chairs set up under a total of 41 tents.

Resilient.

• Texas A&M's Accessibility Conformance Evaluator (ACE) proved invaluable during the pandemic by making it easier for campus members to find and evaluate accessible Electronic Information Resources (EIR).
• As phone calls and emails to Help Desk Central tripled, 20 division employees took a crash course using the HDC issue tracking system and volunteered to take calls from home for three weeks.
• The new Code Maroon Mobile App was released, allowing anyone to receive Code Maroon emergency alerts. The app features a Mobile Blue Light and a Friend Walk feature that can be used anywhere.