What Is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Why Do We Need It?
Passwords aren’t doing their job to protect you and the university against cyber attacks.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) boosts protection of your account from hackers. We are all used to having one layer of security — our password — to protect our accounts. With 2FA, if the hackers have your password, they will still need your phone or passcode to get into your account.
Using 2FA is the same type of layered protection that you already use when logging in to online banking and many other sites. 2FA via Duo requires you to prove your identity in two ways when logging in to certain UTHSC applications – your NetID password plus an approval request or passcode generated on your smartphone.
Duo
Our Duo 2FA solution only requires users to carry one device — their smartphone, with the Duo Mobile app installed (or a hardware token if your smartphone is older or you don't have one). Duo Mobile is available for both iPhones and Android, as well as wearables like the Apple Watch.
Don't Accept a DUO Push If You Haven't Initiated It
DUO two-factor authentication has been implemented at UTHSC to protect our credentials and to verify that the person wanting access to information is who they say they are. When receiving a DUO notification on your phone, you can should deny the request if you did not initiate it.