Tech Tip of the Week

You need to change your password.

No, seriously. Before the start of a new semester is a great time to review your IT security and change your Duke password. Here are three ways to create strong passwords:

• Option 1 - Use LastPass. LastPass is the single best tool for protecting your online activities. And it’s free!
  • Use LastPass to generate a strong password for you.
• Option 2 - Pick a song lyric or phrase and use that. Here’s an example fellow Swifties will recognize:
  • Take the first letter of each word from the first couple of lines.
    • We gather here, We line up weeping in a sunlit room.
    • Wgh-Wluw1a$r
      • Substitute a couple of the letters with numbers or symbols, and use a dash for the commas.
  • When it’s time to change your password, take the next two lines, and repeat. Bonus points for a good earworm.
• Option 3 - Create a base password, and version it.
  • Put together 12 random letters, numbers and special characters. Memorize it.
    • C7qrp2&YgnxJ
  • Change your password by adding a version number to it.
    • C7qrp2&YgnxJ2-3

For passwords, remember length is more secure than complexity. Use > 11 characters.

Want to see if you’ve selected a strong password? Check it here. (My Swiftie password is VERY strong.)

IT Support – Planning for Spring

Faculty – Spring Semester Planning

Action Required – Please take a few minutes to complete this form. As you plan for the spring semester, let us know what questions you have or what tech support or assistance you need. Many of our faculty are Zoom pros, but here’s a refresher for those who are planning to teach Zoom classes this spring:

Zoom Classes: If you taught in the summer or fall, you know the drill. For those new to being an instructor in this type of class:

• If you request it via the link above, for the first two weeks of class, a member of our team will join your Zoom class five minutes prior to the start of your session and stay until all tech issues are resolved.
• Any issues during class? Call 919-684-9200.
• We encourage you to start class with a Class Expectations slide. If you need a sample, let us know.

Zoom Class Recordings

If you are recording your Zoom class, remember that Duke has a limited amount of storage for Zoom recordings. Please follow the instructions in this video for saving your recordings and making them available in Mediasite for your students. If you have any questions about this, please call the IT Service Desk at 919-684-9200.

PC, Laptop & Mobile Tech Support

We’re following the same guidelines that most major IT groups across campus are following.

Off site?

• Contact SON-IT by calling (919) 684-9200 or send an email to SONIT-Support@duke.edu. If we’re busy with someone else, feel free to set up an appointment. Zoom works well for these calls, but a voice call is acceptable, too. Most issues can be resolved remotely.

What if you’re on site?

• Walk ups - Laptop

  • Option A

    • SON-IT will sanitize hands and wear masks.

    • Meet user in student room (social distancing markers).

    • User must be wearing a face mask.

    • User will connect their laptop to monitor in the room.

    • SON-IT will use wireless keyboard and mouse to assist user.

  • Option B

    • SON-IT will sanitize hands and wear face shields and masks.

    • Connect wired keyboard and mouse to laptop to assisted users.

    • User must be wearing a face mask.

• Walk-ups – Mobile Device

  • SON-IT will sanitize hands and wear face shield and mask.

  • SON-IT will use a stylus to assist users if needed with mobile device.

  • User must be wearing a face mask.

• Drop-off

  • User must be wearing a face mask.

  • User will place laptop/device on SON-IT cart.

  • SON-IT will sanitize hands and work on device in SON-IT office.

  • Sanitize device before returning to cart.

  • When returning to users, SON-IT will place device on cart for user to pick-up.

• In your office?

  • We’re currently following safety guidance that recommends IT Staff not enter the office for 48 hours if you have been in your office without wearing your mask. Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. You can:

    • Call us. Most of what we do can be done with remote desktop.

    • Using your laptop? We’ll bring the cart up. Just bring your laptop out and place it on the cart. We’ll bring it back when we’re finished.

    • Is it a desktop or printer? We’ll walk you through how to disconnect it and bring it to the cart.

Classroom AV

When you need help in the classroom, please call (919) 684-9200. Our on-site tech will assist.
Just to review:

• Multimedia Services will ensure classrooms are sanitized before and after class.
  • We will replace saran wrap around the touch panel before each class. (Yes, the touch panel will work through the saran wrap. It’s a neat trick our IT Staff discovered!)
• Multimedia Services will sanitize hands and wear a mask, when assisting users.
• Multimedia Services will continue to do the morning and evening checks of all classrooms and conference rooms.

Have any questions about this or other tech used at DUSON? As always, if you have any technical questions or problems, please contact your IT Service Desk at 919-684-9200 or email to SONIT-Support@duke.edu.