MSU first university in state to offer campus-wide two-factor authentication service for students, employees
Mississippi State University is leading the way in protecting students, faculty and staff from malicious cyberattacks by becoming the first university in the state to offer a campus-wide two-factor authentication service.
Earlier this summer, MSU Information Technology Services (ITS) debuted its new two-factor authentication service, Duo, which allows students and employees to add an extra layer of security when logging into MSU systems such as Banner and myState.
“We now have a service for all MSU faculty, students and staff that protects them from both a professional and a personal standpoint,” MSU Interim Chief Information Officer Steve Parrott said. “It’s a huge benefit, and we are proud to be the first Mississippi university to roll this out campus-wide.”
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a two-step verification which requires more than just a single password to login to a system. For MSU’s two-factor service, users enter their NetID and NetPassword for the first authentication. The second authentication is something users typically have on them, such as the Duo mobile app on a smartphone or tablet, or a hardware token (FOB) that provides a passcode. Two-factor authentication is now required for all faculty and staff members with access to sensitive student information protected by FERPA and HIPPA.
The two-factor authentication environment is integrated into MSU’s Central Authentication Service, which provides access to numerous MSU systems.
For more on MSU’s two-factor authentication service, visit www.its.msstate.edu/services/accounts/two-factor-authentication.
More information on MSU’s information security efforts can be found at www.infosecurity.msstate.edu/isp.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
James Carskadon | Public Affairs
