Disabled Accounts

Purpose

For the safety and security of faculty, staff, students, and Elon University data, Information Technology will disable your Elon University accounts (e.g., Moodle, email, wireless access, computer access) if we are notified that your account has been compromised. This is necessary in order to comply with FERPA requirements as well as to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of university information.

In most cases, if you receive an error message when logging into a University system that your account has been disabled, it is because your account has been compromised. However, there are two other reasons your accounts may be disabled:

• Withdrawal from Elon University (applicable for students) - If you have withdrawn from Elon University for whatever reason, your account will be disabled. If you need your account re-enabled, the request must be made by Associate Vice President of Student Life Jana Lynn Patterson. Please email her directly at patters@elon.edu or contact her at 336-278-7200 to discuss having your account re-enabled. If approved, Jana Lynn will contact the Technology Service Desk providing a start and end date for the temporary account access.
• Termination from Elon University (applicable for faculty/staff) - If you have been terminated from Elon University (whether you have been fired or are leaving on good terms), your account will be disabled. If you need your account re-enabled, the request must be made by Human Resources. Please contact Human Resources at 336-278-5560 to discuss having your account re-enabled.

What should I do if my account is disabled?

Most often, we will disable your account without notice if we are notified by our email provider (Gmail or Microsoft Office 365) that your account appears to be compromised (e.g., sending out high volumes of spam email). Your account will also be disabled if Elon University detects your account has been compromised or is being used by someone other than you.

If your account is disabled and you did not withdraw from or were terminated from Elon University, you should contact the Technology Service Desk at 336-278-5200. For your security, we are unable to assist with account issues via email. If you are studying abroad and do not have access to a telephone, we will work with you to schedule a Webex meeting.

Accounts are only allowed to be enabled by full-time professional Technology Service Desk staff. As such, accounts disabled on weekends may not be re-enabled until the next business day. Further, if you are unable to reset your password while we are on the phone with you, your account will not be re-enabled until you are in a position to do so.

Once you contact us, the following will occur:

1. We will confirm your identity.
2. You will be educated on phishing schemes and safe email practices. This is for your safety as many times, compromised accounts are due to individuals responding to phishing or spam emails.
3. Once your account has been re-enabled, you will be provided with a temporary password.
4. A Service Desk Analyst will walk you through signing up for the Self-Service Password Maintenance Site (if you haven't already) and resetting your password. For more information, see Password Tips below.

Things to Know

It is important for Elon University faculty, staff, and students to be careful and aware of their behavior online and when opening or responding to email. You should always keep the following in mind:

• You should sign-up on the Self-Service Password Maintenance Site. This will allow you to change your password at your own convenience.
• You are required to change your password every 365 days.
• Never provide your password to anyone. If you think someone may have obtained your password, you should visit the Self-Service Password Maintenance Site and change your password immediately.
• Never click on untrusted links or attachments. If you are unsure, NEVER open an attachment or click a link. Instead, reach out to the sender and ask if they truly sent what you received.
• Elon University will NEVER ask for your password through email. The only communication you will receive from Elon University regarding your password will be through an email directing you to our Self-Service Password Maintenance Site.

Password Tips

• When resetting your password, you should NEVER reuse old passwords.
• You should always use a brand new password that you've never used in any way, shape, or form. If you only alter one letter or number, your account may be easily and quickly compromised again.
• Passwords should be at least eight (8) characters, including at least two (2) numbers, one (1) capital letter, and one (1) lowercase letter. For extra security, users can add special characters such as #, @, $, %, or !.
• Passwords CANNOT contain any part of your name, username, initials, or previously used password.
• For security purposes, your account will be locked after five (5) invalid attempts. Your account will unlock after two (2) minutes. The Technology Service Desk cannot force unlock your account.