Status Announcements

[ANNOUNCE] MFA for Students to be enabled June 16th

Status UpdaterStatus Announcements

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) will be enabled on your SUNY Potsdam Microsoft Office 365 account on Wednesday, June 16.

Strong passwords are essential, but they are not enough. Phishing attacks and data breaches put your account and our institutional data at risk. MFA provides extra security for your SUNY Potsdam O365 account.

With MFA, anyone trying to access your account must provide two forms of ID:

-Something you know, such as your password.  

-Something you have, such as a passcode, or a mobile app.  

Before CTS enables MFA on your account, please make sure you have a means to receive the verification code. You will need a device such as a cell phone or tablet so you can install the Microsoft Authenticator App, or you can install other authentication apps like Authy. If you do not wish to use an Authenticator App you are able to use a cell phone to receive calls or text messages.

It is important to remember that you will be asked to re-authenticate with MFA from time to time, so it is critical that you have your verification method nearby when this happens. In most cases a cell phone is the optimal device for this purpose.

Once MFA is enabled on your account, you will need to perform a brief set up procedure to activate MFA for your account.  Please go to this web address and follow the instructions listed there: https://www.potsdam.edu/about/administrative-offices/computing-technology-services/services/office-365/enabling-multi-factor-authentication-mfa

The code you receive is device/instance specific. For example, if you sign into your O365 account with your phone and your computer, you will receive an MFA code for each.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the IT Service Desk via email at itservicedesk@potsdam.edu or by phone at (315) 276-4444. 

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