University of Oregon employees have just a few more days to enroll in two-step login before it becomes mandatory.
Starting July 29, access to protected UO services will require Duo, the university's two-step login service, for all faculty members, staff and graduate employees.
Protected services include Canvas, Zoom, Qualtrics, UOmail and Microsoft applications such as Word, Teams and Outlook.
"I've been using Duo myself since February and find it quick, easy, and seamless," wrote Provost Patrick Phillips in a July 8 email to faculty members, staff and graduate employees. "I strongly suggest, for the security of your own work and for the good of the institution, that you make the change now."
Information Services has seen thousands of people register since opening Duo enrollment to all employees in February and later announcing the enrollment deadline.
"We're thrilled that more than 6,300 employees are now using two-step login," said Leo Howell, chief information security officer.
With the deadline fast approaching, Information Services wants to make sure employees who haven't yet registered know how to enroll, how to get tech support if necessary and what to expect on July 29 if they haven't enrolled.
On the first point, Patrick Chinn, associate chief information officer for customer experience, pointed to the wealth of information about Duo in the UO Service Portal, including enrollment instructions and training videos.
For help with Duo, Chinn encouraged employees to contact the IT staff responsible for supporting their area, if applicable. Otherwise, they can contact the Technology Service Desk by live chat, by phone at 541-346-4357 or by submitting a ticket through the two-step login support page in the UO Service Portal.
"Support staff are available and ready to help," Chinn said. "As we get closer to the deadline, however, the wait times for help may increase if everyone waits until the deadline, so please reach out now if you have any questions or problems."
On July 29, employees who haven't yet enrolled in Duo won't be able to access protected services, including email, until they register a device.
"The first time you try to use Zoom, Outlook or any other protected service, you'll enter your UO login and password like normal," Chinn said. "Then you'll get a prompt from Duo Security saying you need to set up two-factor authentication."
Employees can register a phone or tablet on the spot by either clicking the green "start setup" button on that prompt or following the UO's enrollment instructions. Once a device has been registered with Duo, the user can complete the login process and access the desired service.
"It typically only takes a few minutes to enroll," Chinn said, "But we encourage you to do that before the deadline to make sure you're not late for a Zoom class, Teams meeting or other time-sensitive work on July 29."
Information Services strongly encourages employees who have a smartphone or tablet to register that device for Duo, at least while the university's operations are modified due to COVID-19.
Employees who don't have a cell phone, tablet or landline phone can obtain a small hardware device called a token from the university at no cost. Information Services is distributing hardware tokens on a limited basis from the Eugene campus.
"If you plan to use a token for Duo, please submit your request as soon as possible to make sure you're squared away by July 29," Chinn said.
Emeritus and retired employees aren't required to enroll in Duo at this time.
Student employees can opt to enroll in Duo. In a future phase of the Duo rollout, all UO students will be required to enroll.
FAQs and other information about Duo are available in the UO Service Portal. More information about the two-step login project is available on the Information Services website. Anyone with questions about the project can contact the project team at twostepproject@uoregon.edu or submit a ticket through the two-step login support page.
—By Nancy Novitski, University Communications