CIT launches new security system combating phishing>
Chimes – Katherine Benedict
Calvin Information Technology is implementing a new multi-factor authentication system called DUO this fall in response to last yearâs phishing email attacks. Multi-factor authentication is a way of adding an additional layer of security to accounts by requiring confirmation of identity on another device. As CIT associate CIO Adam Vedra explained it, having two-factor authentication is like having a lock that requires two keys, which are your password and DUO. Even if the password is stolen by a hacker, they cannot access your account because they only have one key. DUO is a security company that specializes in multi-factor authentication (their program is just called DUO, after the company). Calvin will engage in what Vedra calls a âcampaign of encouragementâ this semester to try and persuade students to adopt the new system. CIT first decided to pursue multi-factor authentication in 2017. That was when they purchased DUO and âstarted rolling it out to select campus users,â says Vedra. The original timeline for the beginning of campus-wide implementation was the fall of 2020, but after the phishing email attacks of last year, CIT decided to move the rollout date up. DUO has multiple methods of authentication. Students may download an app, where they will simply tap a notification to allow access. Other methods include what is called a âhardware token,â a clicker that resembles a car key fob and can be carried around with the user. These are available to students for a refundable deposit. DUO can also authenticate through phone calls (including to landlines) and text messages.
Link: https://calvinchimes.org/2019/09/27/cit-launches-new-security-system-combating-phishing/