A lot of students think our Duke accounts don’t really matter. We think that since we’re not storing anything super valuable, there’s not a huge point in worrying about account security. But the truth is our accounts hold way more power than we realize.
Even if you don’t think you’re storing anything valuable, your Duke account can access systems that hold private data. IT security isn’t just about you, it’s about protecting everyone and everything connected to you. For example, if you get paid through Duke, someone might try to change your payroll information. Or they might send an email from your account trying to impersonate you.
This is one of the major reasons Jay Gallman, Risk Advisor for Duke’s IT Security Office, encourages students to take advantage of tools like Duke Unlock and 1Password.
“Security through passwords alone is a broken model these days,” Gallman said.
A better way
“Most of us rely on the same couple of passwords across different sites,” which means a breach on one platform can quickly snowball into a compromise of our sacred Duke credentials, Gallman explained
That’s where 1Password and Duke Unlock come in. 1Password securely stores passkeys, a faster and more convenient way to sign in rather than relying on passwords.
A passkey is a secure digital key created in the background when you set it up, so when you login instead of typing a password, your device can identify you. No one can see your private key. That’s what makes it safer.
Setup takes just a few short minutes, and once it’s done, logging in is much cleaner (no more relying on a Duo Push each time you want to check something).
Layers of protection
So how do Duke Unlock, 1Password, and Duo all work together? Think of them as layers of protection. Duke Unlock creates passkeys that you can use instead of passwords, while 1Password safely stores said passkeys. Duo provides the additional security of MFA when using passwords and may be needed in situations where passkeys can’t be used. Together, they create a powerful digital security team meant to protect you and your information while making logins smoother and safer.
Now you might be wondering, how does what laptop I have come into play? If your laptop has a fingerprint or other biometric sensor you can enable biometric unlock on 1Password (think Touch ID or Windows Hello) to unlock 1Password using your fingerprint, face, or eyes. For laptops without biometric sensors, you can choose how often you want to unlock 1Password again using the ‘Master Password,’ and the frequency with which it will lock itself. Select the interval most convenient for you and know you can customize it to be different across devices. For more information about the differences and other FAQs visit the Duke Unlock web page.
The best part is 1Password doesn’t just stop at your laptop, make sure to get it on your mobile device as well for additional security.
Setting up Duke Unlock and 1Password only takes a few minutes, but it saves you major headaches trying to login and can prevent major security problems down the road. Remember, our Duke accounts hold more power than we think. For step-by-step instructions on all these services, visit the Duke OIT website to get started.
By Katarina Dragasevic '29
OIT Marketing and Communications Intern