Password Protection

Change your password.  Staff should  change their passwords at least annually, to minimize the chance of exposure. Please review and feel free to share our Staff Password Change Guide or Student Password Change Guide.  This tutorial includes step-by-step instructions.  

Choose a longer, complex password.  The length of your password has a significant impact on how easy it is for a bad actor to uncover.  Choosing a longer passphrase can help insulate your account from attacks. 

Keep your password secure.  Do not write your password down and keep it in a location others might access.  Do not use birthdays, names, or other commonly guessed text in your password.

Never share your password.  Never, ever share your password for another user or login to a computer for them.  All IUSD employees, substitutes, and students have their own unique login. Your assigned site technician can help visitors to your school logon properly.

Do not save your password in your browser. Most browsers will prompt you to save your password or credit card information after you visit a website. Even though the password is masked, someone with even momentary access to your computer can use this feature to obtain your password or login to confidential systems.

Safeguard Your Computer

Always lock or log off your computer when you walk away.  Computers can be easily compromised when they are left logged in and unattended even for a moment.  When you are walking away from your computer, always lock the screen.

Check your computer for devices you don’t recognize.  Inspect your computer regularly for USB drives or other inserts/attachments you don’t recognize.  If you are uncertain about any device attached to your computer, contact IT immediately.

Never allow someone to use your computer while you are logged in.  Do not allow anyone, except authorized IT staff,  to use your computer while you are logged in. If a student or non-IT staff member is assisting you with your device, stay in the room.  Make sure that you have full visibility into every action the student/staff takes on your device.

Be Cautious

When in doubt, don’t click.  Never click on a link in an email that is from an unfamiliar source, unexpected, or out of context.  Frequently, shared Google Docs or simple online forms that appear to be innocuous are used to compromise accounts. Phishing is the greatest single risk to IUSD security.

Look closer.  Always check the email address (not just the name) before replying to any email.  Attackers frequently create fake accounts with the names of people you know and trust to lure a response.  Check the web address of all links and websites. It’s common for attackers to create a website that looks familiar (e.g., email, Canvas, Google) to prompt you to supply your username and password.

Verify.  Do not hesitate to verify the validity of any email or information you receive.   

Read the Fine Print.  Read the privacy policy and terms of use for any website or App that requests your information.  Many common Apps collect and share far more personal information than you may be comfortable with.

Ask for Help

Our IT team is here to help keep you and your information safe online.  If you have any questions, or suspect any suspicious activity, please contact us at helpdesk@iusd.org.

This document was created for Irvine Unified School District by the Information Technology Department.  For technical assistance, please email helpdesk@iusd.org

Last Edited: 8/14/2024 [BF]