Duo-Authentication rolls out to students as latest cybersecurity measure
By Sarah Sternhagen, Editor-in-Chief
Starting Feb. 18 Towson University students will begin auto-enrolling in Duo Multi-Factor Authentication for their student accounts. The cybersecurity measure prompts account owners to verify new logins in real time.
Duo is a version of Multi-Factor Authentication. It requires the account’s owner to verify a login on a separate device, like a phone, or to deny the login if they suspect someone else is attempting to access their account.
Students can use push notifications or enter codes sent to their phone to verify logins.
“It requires you to have possession of something like a mobile phone with a duo app or the phone number that’s receiving the text,” Patrick Rohe, Towson’s chief technology officer, said.
On personal devices Duo will wait a month before it prompts an authentication check again. For public computers, it will prompt every login, according to Rohe.
Faculty and staff have used Duo since 2017, but the Office of Technology Services started talking about rolling it out to students last spring.
Fall 2024 students and after are automatically enrolled in Duo when they create their Towson accounts. Rollouts to all other students start Feb. 18 and end in April. Students can opt-in early if they wish.
The OTS normally takes on projects that have direct impacts on Towson’s population, according to Carol Wettersten, director of OTS planning and project management.
“The university prioritizes what’s best for student success and that’s what determines what projects we take on,” Wettersten said.
As of Jan. 30, 5,300 students are enrolled in Duo. The OTS has received roughly 120 requests for help relating to students using Duo in the past nine months, according to Rohe.
“This is phone calls, chats or tickets coming into our help desk,” Rohe said. “So we’re feeling pretty good so far about the user experience and that it’s not disruptive.”