Tech Tips: Welcome Back to DUSON!

Time to get ready for the summer session!

But first, here’s our Tech Tip of the Week: Start fresh with a new password

That’s right. 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:

• Use LastPass – LastPass is the single best tool for protecting your online activities.

  • Use LastPass to generate a strong password for you.

• Pick a song lyric, and use that

  • Take the first letter of each word from a couple of lines from a song you know

    • We’ll use a couple of lines the Duke Fight Song as an example: Duke is out to win today, Carolina good night, So turn on the steam team, Fight Blue Devils fight

    • D1o2wt-Cgn-Stotst-FBDf

      • Substitute a couple of the letters with numbers. Capitalize as appropriate, 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

• 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 > 10 characters.

Want to see if you’ve selected a strong password?  Check it here.

For More Tips

To learn more about recommended software, an alternative to Zoom, data security requirements, and educational software, visit the Tech Tuesday blog.

Contact Your IT Support Staff

Below is the contact information for the School of Nursing IT Service Desk along with our hours of operation:

• Phone: 919-684-9200

• Email: sonit-support@duke.edu

• Service Desk: Located in the Pearson Building in Room 1133 – just across from the Student Study Rooms

• Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• After-hours: If you cannot access your course materials after hours or on the weekend, call 919-684-2243

Ask the operator to page the School of Nursing on-call IT support.

Good luck, and have a great summer session!