February 08, 2024

Password-less login option is coming this spring

This spring, the Office of Information Technology (OIT) is transitioning the campus community from Duo, SIU Carbondale’s current multi-factor authentication tool, to Microsoft Authenticator. Once Authenticator  is set up, faculty, staff and students will have the option to access university systems in a streamlined manner, without entering a password.

Instead of using Duo and entering a three-digit code, users will employ Microsoft Authenticator and enter a two-digit code. (Users who do not choose to use an app or do not have a smart phone have the option of using a “token” to generate access codes.) This new tool has the additional benefit in which someone can choose to set up password-less sign-in for their SIU account.

This change offers these benefits:

  • Users will only need to sign in using multi-factor authentication approximately once each month instead of once each week.
  • Password-less setup allows access without entering any password at all.
  • Authenticator maintains campus cybersecurity, while reducing costs to the university.

Users are encouraged to opt in early and at their convenience using the brief instructions on OIT’s Microsoft Authenticator webpage. Opting in puts each user in control of the transition process and prevents the inconvenience of an unexpected disruption in service.

Those who do not opt-in will be transitioned in small groups, over several weeks, to ensure adequate technical support is available. See the transition schedule for anticipated transition dates.

The transition will be completed before the end of the spring 2024 semester.

The experts in SalukiTech are available to assist and answer questions throughout the transition process. Contact SalukiTech at 618-453-5155 or salukitech@siu.edu.