Duo Two-Factor Authentication

To protect your personal information, K-State employs Duo two-factor authentication, which adds an extra layer of security to your account by requiring a secondary device to verify your identity. All K-State students, faculty, staff and anyone with a K-State email address or K-State VPN access are required to enroll in and use Duo.

Authentication Methods

Duo Verified Push

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Hardware Token

To authenticate using a hardware token, click the "Enter a Passcode" button. Press the button on your hardware token to generate a new passcode. Type the generated passcode into the provided space and click "Log In" (or enter the passcode in the "second password" field).

Keep in mind that tokens can get "out of sync" if the button is pressed multiple times in a row without using the generated passcodes for login. If you encounter any issues with your token or if the codes are not working, please contact the IT Service Desk for assistance.

Hardware tokens typically have a battery life of about two years. If your token fails to operate, you will need to purchase a new one for $15 at the ID Center in the K-State Student Union (Manhattan), IT Support (Olathe) or ID Center (Salina).

Why is Duo Verified Push the best authentication method?

This feature enhances authentication by requiring a three-digit verification code to be entered on users' mobile devices or tablets before they can approve the request.

K-State staff will never ask you for this code! Only enter this code directly into the Duo authentication app. Never share this code with anyone via text message, telephone calls or email. If someone contacts you asking for this code, please contact abuse@ksu.edu immediately.

Duo Verify Push is faster than receiving a text message or a phone call for authentication. With text message authentication, you must receive the message, read the passcode and then enter it manually. Phone calls require you to answer the phone, listen to a recording, and use your dial pad to approve the login.

Duo Verify Push uses minimal data; for example, receiving 500 push notifications will only consume about 1 MB of data, which is roughly equivalent to loading a single webpage on your smartphone.

Enrolling in Duo

New students, faculty and staff will receive an email notification instructing them to enroll in Duo. It is important to complete your enrollment within two weeks of receiving this notification. If you fail to enroll by the deadline, you will be prompted to do so the next time you try to access a K-State system.

To complete the enrollment process, you will need a computer or laptop, a mobile device or a hardware token. During enrollment, you will also need to choose your preferred authentication method. The following devices are supported:

Enroll in Duo

Resources

To learn more about Duo, see the Duo Help Resources knowledge base article.