Duo: FAQs

General

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
Passwords are becoming increasingly easy to compromise. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) requires you to use more than one method to prove your identity such as “something you know” and “something you have”. An example would be, when accessing a web resource and having to enter your username and password (something you know) and approving a Duo authentication request on your phone (something you have).

Why is MFA important?
Phishing emails, stolen passwords, password guessing, password cracking, to name a few, are all on the rise. MFA helps protect your identity by adding an additional layer of security in the event that your password is compromised.

Who is eligible to use MFA?
All faculty and staff.

Am I required to use MFA?
Once your account is enrolled you will be required to use MFA when accessing Fairfield University resources.

What Duo Authentication types do you recommend?

Verified Duo Push is the recommended MFA authentication type.

Enrolled Devices

What types of devices do you recommend I enroll for using MFA?
Smartphones and tablets are the preferred types of devices to enroll in your Duo account. We recommend users configure a primary device such as your cell phone and a secondary/backup device such as a tablet.

Will Duo work on my device when I travel outside the United States?
If your device is connected to the Internet such as a wireless network or an international cellular plan and the country is not blocking Duo you should still be able to receive and approve Verified Duo Push notifications. If you do not have Internet connectivity and your phone is completely offline you can use the passcode that appears within the Duo app to approve a Duo authentication request.

Duo Mobile

What is Duo Mobile?
Duo Mobile is the Duo app you install on your phone that allows you to receive and respond to Duo Verified Push notifications. The Duo Mobile app also allows you to access passcodes if you select that option when accessing an resource that requires multi-factor authentication.

What if I receive a Duo Authentication but wasn’t accessing something that requires MFA?
This may mean your password has been compromised and someone is trying to access an MFA protected resource using your identity. Do not approve the Duo Authentication request. Change your Net ID password immediately and contact the ITS help desk and ITS security team.

What is Verified Duo Push?
Sometimes an attacker may try to annoy or overwhelm a user by triggering multiple Duo Push notifications with the goal of getting them to just approve the Duo Push request. Other times a user may accidentally or blindly approve a Duo Push notification if they regularly use resources that require MFA. Verified Duo Push attempts to address those scenarios and is a more secure authentication method than Duo Push. When a user accesses a resource that requires MFA they’ll see a code pop-up on the screen where they are trying to access the resource. The user must then type that code into the Verified Duo Push notification on their phone.