Feature Idea: Read Receipts & Secure Messaging for ServiceDesk Plus Cloud
Hello ServiceDesk Plus Community,
As a long-time user of ServiceDesk Plus Cloud, I'm always looking for ways to improve our workflow, security, and compliance. I would like to propose two features that I believe would be game-changers for both technicians and end-users.
1. The Case for Read Receipts
Currently, when we reply to a requester, we have no way of knowing if they've actually seen our message. This can create uncertainty, especially with urgent tickets or when waiting for a user's action. Did they read the password reset instructions? Did they see the note about the outage? This ambiguity can lead to unnecessary follow-ups and wasted time.
My Suggestion: Implement a simple "Read Receipts" feature. A visual indicator—like a double-checkmark or a read icon—would appear next to a message once the requester has viewed it in their email or the self-service requestor portal.
Benefits:
Improved Efficiency: Technicians can confirm message delivery without having to manually follow up.
Enhanced Auditability: It provides a clear, documented timeline of communication, which is crucial for incident management and reporting.
Better User Experience: It creates a more fluid communication flow, similar to modern messaging platforms.
2. A Secure & Confidential Message Mode
Sharing sensitive information like temporary passwords, BitLocker/Filevault recovery keys, or API keys through a standard ticket reply is a significant security risk. This data is often stored in plain text and can be easily accessed or forwarded, violating security best practices and compliance frameworks.
My Suggestion: Introduce a "Confidential Message Mode" within the ticket's reply function along with Read Receipts. This feature would allow us to send encrypted, time-sensitive messages.
How it could work:
A technician would click a "confidential" button when composing a reply.
They would set an expiration for the message (e.g., "View Once" or "Expires in 10 minutes" or "Custom Duration").
The requester would get a secure or encrypted message. The message would not be visible in their email once it is viewed or expires as per the expiration time set by the technician while sending sensitive information from the Service Desk Plus itself.
After the set time, the message would automatically and permanently disappear from the ticket history but creates a log for the reference.
This feature should also include a read receipt, providing a documented record of when the secure message was accessed.
Why this is a crucial enhancement for security and compliance:
This feature would align with key compliance frameworks like HITRUST CSF, which requires strong controls for data protection and transmission protection (Hitrust Reference - Controls 09.j and 19.a). It ensures that sensitive data is handled securely, limiting its exposure and minimizing the risk of a breach.
I believe these two features would be invaluable to the ServiceDesk Plus community. They would not only streamline our daily work but also help us meet modern security and compliance demands.