For Students
When will students be required to use Duo?
Duo will be required for all UCI students on October 19, 2021. There is no need to wait! You can enroll now, be more secure, and make sure you are ready when it becomes mandatory.
What systems will require Duo to login?
Every account that uses your UCInetID will require Duo to verify it is you.
It is recommended that you enable Google’s multi-factor authentication for UCI G-Suite as well.
Why do I need Duo? What are the benefits?
Passwords are becoming increasingly easy to compromise. They can be stolen, “phished”, guessed, and hacked. New technology and hacking techniques combined with the limited pool of passwords most people use for multiple accounts increases vulnerability.
What devices are supported to work with Duo?
UCI Duo supports a range of electronic devices including:
- iOS smartphones and tablets
- Android smartphones and tablets
- Hardware tokens, such as OIT-issued tokens or third-party tokens like Yubikey
What if I don’t have a smartphone or tablet?
For those of you who don’t have a smartphone, please contact the OIT Help Desk by creating a support ticket, emailing oit@uci.edu, or calling 949-824-2222.
What if I am somewhere with no telephone reception?
Open the Duo Mobile app and use the 6-digit passcode that appears on your screen.
What is an emergency backup code? When is it needed?
If you forget your MFA enabled device, you can use one of your emergency backup codes to login.
You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t write down your password, but these backup codes are an exception. You should definitely print these or write these down and keep them handy in a place where you can find them in an emergency, like your wallet, pocketbook, or purse. These are single-use codes, so after you use a code it cannot be used again.
To generate your backup codes:
- Visit this emergency backup codes page.
- Select the Generate button on the bottom of the page to receive 10 backup codes.
- Copy and paste the codes in a document, and then print the document.
- Alternatively you can store the backup codes in your password vault like LastPass, KeePass etc.
Have other questions?
See the full list of frequently asked Duo questions from the OIT Help Desk.
For Faculty and Instructors
What happens if I don’t allow students to use laptops or cell phones in my classroom?
- If you don’t allow students to use technology (e.g. laptops, smartphones) in your classroom, then MFA-Duo will not affect your classroom as students will not need to authenticate with MFA-Duo.
- If you allow technology, students will need a brief (5-10 second) interaction with their smartphones or tokens/fobs. You determine classroom policies regarding authenticating to MFA-Duo. Consider sharing these policies through your syllabus and/or verbally. Some suggestions for use:
- Ask all students to authenticate prior to class starting.
- Announce at the beginning of class that students should authenticate and then put their smartphones away.
How will MFA Duo impact my students who take online quizzes and exams during my class?
- If the website students use to take the quiz or exam is not behind a UCInetID website, then they won’t need to authenticate with MFA-Duo.
- If the website is behind a UCInetID website (like Canvas), then you can ask all students to authenticate to Canvas prior to class starting, or announce it before the quiz/exam begins, and then put their smartphones away before ever opening the actual quiz/exam.
What if a student forgets their cell phone or token/fob and needs to take an online test in my class?
- If a student has logged in to their browser and clicked “remember me” and is using the same laptop and browser they would use in class, they shouldn’t have any issues.
- To avoid this situation, please encourage students to print out backup passcodes and keep them handy.
- Students can contact the OIT HelpDesk, verify their identity and receive a passcode that is valid for 12 hours. This may result in some lost time on their quiz/exam.