October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it a prime time for students, faculty, & staff to check your account settings that help keep Drake systems and personal information secure. A few minutes now can help prevent a frustrating lockout later, especially if your phone is lost, replaced, or unavailable when you need to sign in.

Use Drake’s Password Manager at password.drake.edu to manage your Drake password, security questions, and MFA device settings. Password Manager also includes a “Forgot password” option if you’re unable to sign in, which can help you recover access without waiting for ITS assistance.

If you only have one MFA method connected to your Drake account, add a backup option this month. A backup method gives you another way to verify your identity if your primary device changes or stops working. This is especially important before replacing a phone, traveling, or relying on a device that may not always be available.

Faculty and staff will also receive an email later this month with a link to this year’s required annual cybersecurity training. Completing the training is another important way to stay informed about current security risks and help protect University systems and data.

Taking these steps now helps protect your account and reduces the chance of being locked out of University systems when you need them most. Review your MFA methods, update your recovery options, and add at least one backup MFA method before the end of the month.

If you need help, visit the University Service Portal at service.drake.edu to search the ITS Knowledge Base or submit a request to the ITS Support Center.

— Becky Klein, ITS