Are the passwords you use “good enough” to prevent someone else from accessing your Netflix account, credit card, or bank? Password security (or lack thereof) is still one of the largest causes of data breaches for organizations and individuals, and in many cases, the hassle and hardship could be completely avoided if people widely follow simple password practices. 

While people primarily think of poor passwords as an individual issue, they are also an organizational issue. Passwords are used to secure large amounts of highly confidential data that we’ve been entrusted with by our students, alumni, and donors. Weak passwords are a gift to would-be criminals, making it far easier for them to get what they want. 

Good Password Practices 

You’ve probably read about the basic components of a good password dozens of times: complex, changed regularly, unique, etc. Here’s some specific advice around these components to help you to better protect your accounts. 

The right words, phrases, and strings make passwords harder to break while making them easier to remember. Things like song lyrics, family jokes, or a description of a family member or object with numbers and special characters mixed in make the password extremely difficult to break. Length also adds exponential complexity. Did you know that Drake systems allow passwords up to 30 characters? Add some of these elements and you’ll come closer to that maximum than you expect. 

Avoid overused practices like an exclamation point at the end, family members names, or incrementing numbers. These are all well-known and make attackers jobs easier. 

While raising awareness of these practices is one thing, practical application is another matter entirely. Poor practices aren’t necessarily caused by ignorance or laziness: the reality is we simply have so many online accounts that following this guidance to the letter would be tedious and time-consuming. Enter the password manager. Using a password manager can help you develop a complex password for every account, while only having to remember 2–3 at the most. These tools can also auto-populate password fields securely, alert you to a potential breach, and suggest changes when needed. LastPass, 1Password, and BitWarden represent just a few of the options available, but you’ll want to do your research to find out which is best for you and your family. 

While other components have been introduced for account security, such as 2-factor and bio-metric authentication, the traditional password is still the key component holding all of these new features together. 

ITS will continue campus-wide training on account security practices including passwords and phishing.

If you’d like to discuss any information security issues, please feel free to reach out to me directly, or email informationsecurity@drake.edu. If you believe you’ve been targeted by phishing, see the guide, Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to). 

— Peter Lundstedt, ITS 

The University Bookstore understands a lot is going into your decision-making process for fall adoptions during this time. We know you are facing new challenges as more courses adjust to online formats. We want to share a tool that is available within Follett Discover where you can instantly see if the traditional book you may be considering has an electronic version available. You can find this information on the same site where you submit your textbook adoptions.

As always, we ask for your adoptions as early as possible so we can better source used materials that may be available. In addition, timely textbook adoptions keep campus in compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA). To this end, we want to work with you to assist in anyway that will allow you to make your textbook adoption decisions and allow us to get the postings completed. While we recognize that some of you may still be trying to make decisions, this is a friendly reminder that fall textbook adoptions were due on April 15.

Reach out if you need any assistance maneuvering Follett Discover or feel free to email or call with your adoptions or concerns. We look forward to hearing from you.

Follow these three easy steps to access Follett Discover via Blackboard

1. Log into myDrake.
2. Click on the Bb icon on the main myDrake screen.
3. Find the Tools channel. Then scroll down and click the Follett Discover link, or find the Follett Discover channel and click the Launch Discover link.

For questions, contact Donna Hallstrom at 1623txt@follett.com or Katie Wilz at kwilz@follett.com.

— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore

Faculty, final grades are due by 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20. Exception: Law School grades are due Tuesday, May 26.

You may enter your final grades directly in MyDUSIS or automatically send them from Blackboard to MyDUSIS (with proper configuration).

Due to the large number of students who have converted their grade mode from standard letter grades to credit/no credit, we are enhancing the Blackboard Grades Journey instructions, which will be available here.

The “Download Class Roster” link on the Faculty & Advisors tab in MyDUSIS will allow you to generate your class roster in an Excel document, which lists, among other things, the grade mode assigned to each of your students.

More details about final grade entry will be available soon.  Thank you for your patience.

— Kevin Moenkhaus, Office of the Registrar

The next technology project request review is set for this summer. If you have a project idea for consideration, please submit it by June 19. You may make a submission by using our Technology Project Request form. The Submitting a Technology Project Request (How To) is available and explains how to complete this submission.

Want to know about the current ITS projects? Visit the project management section of the ITS website.

If you need additional assistance, please reach out to Kris Brewster.

— Carla Herling, ITS

Due to lack of attendance, the remainder of the Teams at 10 drop-in training sessions scheduled for 10–10:30 a.m. on April 30, May 1, 7, 8, 14, and 15 have been canceled.

Resources on using Teams are available in our IT service portal in the Collaboration category including specific information on Teams meetings. You can also search at service.drake.edu/its for a specific keyword.

Having a particular technical challenge with Teams? Submit the form at Collaboration Site (Microsoft Teams) Issue to let us know and we’ll reach out assist you. You can also use this form to request a group training for your area.

As we roll out Teams to new colleges, schools, and departments, we’ll schedule training directly with those groups.

— Carla Herling, ITS

As we are all in this together, a University-wide list has been created for ways to help other offices during this time. It can be found here.

If you have some time available and would like to help, please sign up following discussion with your director. To sign up, simply put your department and name down (in the right two columns). The contact listed for the need is on the left. I’m happy to coordinate if needed. 

Thank you for all that you are doing for Drake. 

— Nate Reagen, President’s Office