Everything we send from our Drake email to external email addresses is gone forever. Once we click send, we lose all control over that data and the recipient gains control. They can forward it to someone else, save it to their computer, or write the information down. If that email contained confidential information such as an SSN, passport number, or transcript, that data is now lost.

There are two ways to ensure confidential information is protected when you need to share it with someone outside of Drake – via email or file sharing.

Secure Email
Drake’s email service has secure functionality built in. If you have a Drake.edu email address, you can send secure emails simply by adding the phrase encrypted message: as part of the subject. The contents of the message and any attachments will by encrypted, and the email recipient will be required to verify their identity when they open the message. Read more about this service in the article Sending and Receiving Encrypted Email Messages (How-to) in our IT Service Portal.

Secure File Sharing
We can also share files securely using OneDrive. Rather than sending the data outside of Drake, OneDrive allows us to bring others into the data, giving us greater control. The best way to do this securely is by sharing files or folders with specific contacts, rather than creating an anonymous link. This requires the contacts to sign in with their organization’s account, or with a one-time passcode. When the data no longer needs to be shared, you can remove the access. Read more about this service under the “How do I temporarily share my files to others?” section of the article Getting Started with OneDrive (FAQ).

If you have any questions about using either of these methods, please contact the ITS Support Center at 515-271-3001.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS