New Duck ID platform will overhaul account management

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The University of Oregon's Duck ID system will get an overhaul this month.

On Feb. 22, Information Services will change the software behind the Duck ID Self-Service website at duckid.uoregon.edu, best known as the place where UO students, staff and faculty members change their Duck ID passwords every six months.

For that entire day, most account-related services, including the site itself, will be unavailable. Duck ID logins will continue to function as usual.

“We are strengthening identity and access management capabilities with this replacement, ” said Melody Riley, associate chief information officer for enterprise solutions. “With this modern foundation, we will continue to improve how we provide digital access to ensure the right people have the right access at the right time. ”

The new platform will introduce the following key changes under the new name of “Duck ID Account Management”:

  • Look and feel: The new platform will have an entirely new user interface that’s much more compatible with mobile devices.
  • Password rules: Passwords must be at least 14 characters long. Reuse will no longer be allowed, among other changes.
  • New security questions: The first time people log in, they must answer new security questions. If users later forget a password, those security answers can provide access to their accounts.
  • Self-service recovery of compromised accounts: If someone’s account gets compromised, the user will be directly notified via text message and email with details about how to proceed. In many cases, people will be able to recover their accounts themselves.
  • Expanded management of role accounts: Employees responsible for role accounts, also known as departmental or non-person accounts, will be able to reset passwords themselves and transfer ownership to others.
  • Two-step login: At login, the Duck ID website will show new prompts for two-factor authentication. The process for adding and managing devices for Duo will also change.
  • Duck ID claiming: New UO students and employees will use a PIN, rather than their DuckWeb password, or PAC, to claim new accounts.

Also on Feb. 22, UO’s affiliation-based access rules will be updated to give new employees more consistent and timely access to technology services during their onboarding.

The following will remain the same through this transition:

  • Current passwords will be retained.
  • Passwords will continue to expire every six months.
  • People will continue to receive email notifications before their passwords expire, although the messages will look a bit different­.
  • The renamed website will remain at duckid.uoregon.edu and will continue to serve the same purpose.

“We’re excited to offer new tools for managing your accounts, ” said Patrick Chinn, associate chief information officer for customer experience. “And the new system is more robust, which isn't glamorous but is very important for this type of system. ”

Up-to-date information about using the new system will be available in the UO Service Portal beginning Feb. 22.

People seeking help can submit a ticket through the Duck ID accounts page of the UO Service Portal.