Upcoming changes to Duo 2-Factor Authentication

Dear students, faculty and staff,

Please be aware of upcoming changes to Duo 2-Factor Authentication.

What is changing?

Starting Tuesday, March 21, the Duo 2-Factor Authentication prompt screen that you encounter when accessing some university services will have a new look. With this change, the Duo prompt will remember your preferred authentication option (e.g., push notification to your Duo mobile app). Should you wish to authenticate in a different way (e.g., passcode, SMS or phone call), you can access these options by selecting the “other options” link.

Please note that University of Illinois System level applications such as Banner, MyUI Info, etc., will continue to use the current style interface until a future update is implemented.

Why is this happening?

UIC Technology Solutions works to ensure the UIC community has the safest and most secure experience accessing university services and data online. The Duo Universal Prompt is the next-generation version of Duo’s interactive, web-based authentication. The new prompt is more adaptive and contextually aware, providing additional security, while being easier to use and more accessible for clients.

What do I have to do?

You may continue to use Duo 2-Factor Authentication uninterrupted.

What are the benefits of this change?

1. You can enroll in 2FA for the first time via the Duo Universal Prompt, even while off campus.
2. The Duo Universal Prompt helps keep you secure by automatically choosing the most secure authentication option by default.
3. You can manage devices from a Duo Universal Prompt window, avoiding the need to visit a different page. In addition, the Duo Universal Prompt enables you to use more secure authentication devices such as WebAuthn/FIDO2 security keys.
4. The Duo Universal Prompt is a more accessible interface.

To verify the authenticity of this message, to view the current and new Duo prompt screen look, and for more information on this change, please view “What is changing with Duo 2FA prompts?”

Regards,

Jason Maslanka
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Technology Officer

Shefali Mookencherry
Chief Information Security Officer

For more information, please contact:
Jason Maslanka
jasonm@uic.edu