Reminder to enroll in multi-factor authentication

September 28, 2020

Reminder to enroll in multi-factor authentication

The Office of Information Technology is reminding the university community that multi-factor authentication, or MFA, is available to faculty, staff and students.

Adding MFA verification, signing in with a username and password that is then verified by accepting a “push notification” or entering an MFA passcode, dramatically increases security around credentials and accounts. The addition of MFA is critical in securing university assets and those of the campus community.

For individual users, when the opt-in period ends in January 2021, users not enrolled will lose access to technology systems and services including email, the network, AIS and SIS systems, SalukiNet, D2L, shared peripherals such as printers, and more until they enroll. Faculty, staff, and students are strongly urged to enroll now.

If you are using VPN now you are already enrolled and need to do nothing further.

Information and instructions for MFA enrollment are here.

There are multiple ways to incorporate MFA verification into the sign in process:

• Once enrolled, users can sign in using their SIU email address and password and then accept a push notification or generate a passcode using their phone or mobile device. These are free and easy ways to incorporate MFA.
• Users can enter credentials and an MFA code provided by an MFA token. An MFA token is a small device that generates a unique code each time the user attempts to sign in. This code helps verify that the person trying to sign in is the account owner.

For assistance or questions, contact SalukiTech at 618/453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu. MFA tokens, which are SIU-specific, can also be purchased through SalukiTech for $25.