System designed to prevent hacking through “second factor” identification
On Jan. 15, “all remaining unenrolled staff and student staff” were enrolled in DuoMobile, a multi-factor authentication program introduced in February of 2019 as part of the UCPath overhaul of personnel and payroll systems.
DuoMobile is designed to prevent hacking by introducing a “second factor” into the login on UC Davis sites, although it can reportedly be used with other off-campus services and apps — including personal Gmail, Facebook and bank accounts — as long as the website or app also has a two-step security authentication system. Duo can function in international travel as well.
The app requires users to enroll one of their devices, including a smartphone or cellphone, in Duo. A second device — a “backup” — must then be registered. This functions as a secondary method of authentication in the event that the primary method is not available. Typically, a temporary numeric code will be issued to access the account using Duo.
“For most, the only change they’ll see starting Jan. 15 is that they’ll enter their Duo credentials when they log into Office 365, just like they do now for other campus accounts,” according to UC Davis News.
Faculty, students and others, however, are not yet required to use the app, and will still be able to access their email accounts without it. The article did not state when this would become a requirement.
Written by: Rebecca Bihn-Wallace — campus@theaggie.org
