Time is running out for University of Oregon students to sign up for Duo two-step login before it becomes mandatory.
Students not yet enrolled in Duo have been assigned to one of nine Duo enrollment deadlines April 7-June 2.
"Thousands of Ducks protected their accounts with Duo this winter, which is fantastic," said Leo Howell, chief information security officer. "Now it's time for us to ensure all students have that protection."
Starting on their assigned deadlines, students must verify their identity with Duo to access Canvas, Zoom, UOmail and other protected UO services.
"The first time you try to use a protected service on your Duo deadline, you'll enter your UO login and password like normal," said Patrick Chinn, associate chief information officer for customer experience. "Then you'll get a prompt from Duo saying you need to set up two-factor authentication."
Students can register a phone or tablet on the spot by clicking the green "start setup" button on that prompt. 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," Chinn said, "But we encourage you to register a device in advance to make sure you're not late for a Zoom class on your Duo deadline."
The Duo deadline for all students in the School of Law is April 7. For all other students, Information Services has assigned deadlines based on the last digit of students' UO ID numbers, also known as 95 numbers.
Students who don't have a cell phone, tablet or landline phone to use with Duo can obtain a small hardware token from the university at no cost.
"If you plan to use a token for Duo, please contact the Technology Service Desk as soon as possible to make sure you're squared away before your deadline," Chinn said.
To help ensure a smooth transition, students will also be logged out of all UO-provided Microsoft services — including Word, Teams and UOmail — on the morning of their Duo deadline.
"That first day, you may need to do two-step login multiple times," Chinn said. "After that, you'll only have to do it once a week for most services."
Two-step login — also known as two-factor authentication or two-step verification — is a common method of securing login processes. After entering a username and password, users must also verify their identity by tapping a button in a mobile app, entering a code or answering a telephone call.
The university's Duo service allows people to quickly and easily verify their own identity and prevent unauthorized use of their account. The Duo Mobile app for smartphones is the most popular way of doing Duo at the UO.
"When you're logging in, you can get a Duo push notification on your phone. Just tap 'Accept' and you're in," Howell said. "Or if you get a notification when you're not logging in, tap 'Deny' to prevent a cybercriminal from using your account."
Thousands of students voluntarily signed up for Duo during the opt-in period winter term. The service has been required for all UO faculty members, staff and graduate employees since July 29.
FAQs and other information about Duo are available in the UO Service Portal.
Students seeking help with Duo are encouraged to contact the Technology Service Desk. The Tech Desk offers remote support 6 a.m.–midnight every day by live chat and by phone at 541-346-4357. Students can also submit a ticket through the two-step login support page in the UO Service Portal.
More information about the two-step login project is available on the Information Services website.
—By Nancy Novitski, University Communications