Duo Two-Factor Authentication
Your login credentials are more valuable than ever and are increasingly easy to compromise. Over 90% of breaches today involve compromised usernames and passwords. Cybersecurity is a significant concern in our technology-driven world, and K-State must be more vigilant.
To keep your personal information safe, K-State offers Duo two-factor authentication to provide a second layer of security for your account by using a secondary device to verify your identity. Duo prevents anyone but you from accessing your account, even if they know your password.
All K-State students, faculty, and staff are required to enroll and use Duo.
Enrolling in Duo
New students, faculty, and staff will receive an email notification to enroll in Duo. You must enroll within two weeks of receiving the notification. If you don't enroll by the deadline, you will be prompted to do so the next time you attempt to authenticate into a K-State system.
You will need a laptop, mobile device, or hardware token to complete the process. The following are the supported devices:
During the enrollment process, you will have to choose an authentication method. See the descriptions below.
Authentication Methods
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| Duo Push | Pushes a login request to your phone or tablet (if you have Duo Mobile installed and activated on your iOS, Android, or Windows Phone device). |
| Call Me | Authenticate via phone call back. Click the Call Me button on the Duo Prompt, and Duo will call your phone. Answer the call and listen to the instructions to authenticate. The Duo Prompt's status bar also tells you how to approve the request over the phone. |
| 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 it into the space provided, and click Log In (or type the generated passcode in the "second password" field). Tokens can get "out of sync" if the button is pressed too many times in a row, and the generated passcodes are not used for login. Contact the IT Service Desk if you have issues with token funcion or codes not working. Tokens typically have a battery life of approximately two years, and a new one will need to be purchased if it fails to operate. Tokens can be purchased for $15 at the ID Center in the K-State Student Union (Manhattan), ID Center (Salina), and IT Support (Olathe). |
Why is push the best authentication method?
Duo Push is an authentication request you’ll receive as a notification on your smartphone. It’s quicker, easier, and more secure than receiving texts or phone calls. To use Duo Push, you must have the Duo Mobile app installed and activated.
It’s quicker than a text or a phone call
- Authenticating with a text message requires waiting to receive the text, reading a passcode, and then typing it in.
- Phone calls require answering, listening to the recording, and using the dial pad to approve the login.
- Duo Push is as simple as approving a notification on your smartphone.
- Duo uses minimal data. Five hundred pushes to your device will use 1 MB of data. This amount is equivalent to loading one webpage on your smartphone.
It's more secure
- Duo Push uses cutting-edge end-to-end encryption that SMS and phone calls can’t.
- The Duo Push screen displays detailed information about the application and source device that initiated the authentication request.
Resources
To learn more about Duo, see the Duo Help Resources knowledge base article.