Introduction
What do you want more:
- A secure online experience (i.e., our files are kept private from prying hackers)
OR
- Total convenience (i.e., we just want to click to access our files)?
Sadly, we can’t have both at the same time! Remember, software developers try to make their products convenient–or else you won’t use them. But security means some work on the part of users.
Most online applications require a username (which is relatively public) and a password (which is known only by you). These two pieces of information are often called “credentials,” as in “What are your credentials for this site?” This sounds simple, but most of us have tens or hundreds of unique passwords.
If you have a mobile phone, there are other ways to enter credentials, such as a device password: a number, a pattern of lines, a thumbprint, face recognition. Then, each application asks can you use that method. I really like the face recognition feature on my iPhone X and have been using it at shopping checkouts. It is more secure than the username and password combination–no one else has my face and the new technology protects against using a photo instead of an actual face.
G Suite has pretty strong security, but it requires a small bit of time for our users.
LLI.Bard.Edu Accounts
If you are a member who participates in one of our committees, you may need access to some of the wonderful apps and files we get for free with G Suite for Education. To access those files, you will need an LLI account, which will be set up with an address at lli.bard.edu. The address will be your first initial and last [email protected]. You cannot use any other email account to access files on LLI shared drives Why? We want to keep our LLI information secure within LLI. When someone leaves LLI, their lli.bard.edu account is cancelled and they no longer have access to those files.
Plus, LLI accounts are easier for users. You can email a member with an LLI account, knowing their email address is [First initial of first name] + [Last name]@lli.bard.edu. For example, Jane Doe has an LLI email address of [email protected].
Not all of our LLI members have an LLI account yet. You can request one (instructions are below). We have had G Suite for about a year and by now, most participating members are using their LLI accounts: committee chairs, officers, other volunteers.
Two-Step Verfication
Google takes security and privacy seriously, especially for G Suite for Education domains that we have at LLI. For example, Google does not scan our email messages for marketing opportunities, unlike regular Gmail accounts.
Sometimes, after you login to your LLI account, you may be asked for additional information, such as a mobile phone number or another email account. This is because it is pretty easy for someone to steal your password, especially if you use the same password on more than one site or if you use meaningful passwords (like your partner’s name). When someone steals your password, they can lock you out of your account, delete your contacts, send harmful emails to your contacts, reset passwords on other accounts, or other bad things we can’t even imagine. Hackers are clever.
With 2-step verification, you login to your Google account as usual. Sometimes, you will be asked for some additional information, such as a code sent to your phone or an email sent to verify you want to login (this happens if you are using an unusual computer or at a different location). Sometimes, when this happens to me, I silently curse a bit and wish I did not have to bother with all of this. But, my next thought is that Google is protecting me!
If you want to learn more about Google’s 2 Step Verification, you can see this page.
Google Security is Good!
Some members have a bit of trouble first logging on to G-Suite and then logging on again on a different computer or app. Please be patient and be sure to remember your G Suite LLI password. Any inconvenience you may experience with this is part of the trade-off between convenience and security.
If you have any questions or issues, you can email us at [email protected].
How Do I Get an LLI G Suite Account?
If you are an LLI member, you can get your own LLI account by emailing Deborah Schwartz at [email protected]. You will get an invitation from Google to set up your account with a link to click. When you click the link, you will need to change your password to something you remember, at least eight characters long. It’s that easy!
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