Action Required: Sign up for Duo 2-Factor Authentication

Dear Faculty, Staff & Students,

This past year, Technology Solutions has been working diligently to mitigate and prevent the significant increase in cyber attacks targeting the UIC Community by continually enhancing the online security of, and information available to, the University community. These types of attacks have been on the rise globally, and Technology Solutions is taking proactive steps to protect community members.

In November 2020, Technology Solutions successfully implemented Safe Links, a part of Microsoft’s Defender platform, which better protects email users from malicious links by scanning URLs before loading the website. Licensing was also secured for Microsoft Advanced Threat Protection (ATP), software that helps detect and prevent cyberattacks to staff and infrastructure. In May 2021, email routing was updated to improve overall UIC email delivery security by recognizing and deleting malware, and automatically filtering spam email to the spam folder.

In an effort to further improve security, Technology Solutions will be adding 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) to many University systems over time, with Microsoft Office365, Box, and Qualtrics being protected prior to the start of the Fall 2021 semester. You may already be familiar with 2FA, as it is currently used on the UIC VPN system and UI-System applications such as ‘My UI Info’ and Banner Administrative Pages. 2FA helps secure your account, and the University’s sensitive data, by adding an extra layer of security. When logging in to university systems using your NetID and password, 2FA requires you to verify your identity using a second factor such as a mobile device, and prevents anyone but you from logging in, even if your password has been compromised. This greatly enhances protections on your account and data that are vulnerable to phishing attacks.

UIC uses 2FA service provided by Duo Security, an industry leader in cybersecurity services.  We are encouraging faculty, staff, and students to confirm their existing account or sign up for the Duo 2FA service in preparation for 2FA being added to additional University systems. If you do not sign up for Duo, you will no longer be able to log in to University systems that require 2FA to access. For the best possible user experience, you are encouraged to use the Duo App on iOS or Android.

Learn more about 2FA at go.uic.edu/2FA or visit the UIC Help Center articles below for answers to frequently asked 2FA questions:

• What is 2FA?
• How do I set up 2FA?
• How do I enroll in 2FA while off-campus?
• Other Frequently Asked Questions about Duo 2FA

The University of Illinois Chicago is committed to securing its institutional data and the personal information of everyone at the University and appreciates your attention to this matter. If you have any questions or need additional support, please visit the UIC Help Center at go.uic.edu/ask-an-IT-question. 

Regards,

Jason Maslanka
Chief Technology Officer

For more information, please contact:
Jason Maslanka
consult@uic.edu