To: UCSC Faculty, Staff and Students
Fr: Vice Chancellor for Information Technology, Van Williams
Re: Required Stronger Account Security Coming 2019
I am writing to inform you about a new security measure that will be rolling out across campus called Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). By October 2019 of next year, MFA will become mandatory for key UCSC services. These include but are not limited to UCPath, MyUCSC, Canvas and CruzPay. Once UCSC Google Apps move to Gold password, (summer 2019) then MFA will be required for Google login.What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)?
MFA (also known as two-step or 2-factor authentication) adds a second layer of protection to your UCSC account in addition to your username and password. This extra layer prevents anyone but you from logging in to your account, even if they know your password. A common example would be a verification code sent to your cell phone when you try to log on, which you then have to enter before access is granted.
Implementing MFA at UCSC will allow us to begin to adopt the best practice of giving you one user ID and one password for all campus systems. This practice greatly enhances our ability to protect your accounts and your data.
When will the requirement begin?
ITS will begin a phased MFA roll-out over nine months beginning February 2019. You will receive advance notice on how and when to enroll in MFA and training opportunities before it becomes a campus requirement. We will also offer additional support and training for staff who do not normally use a computer.
Visit this web page for the latest updates: https://its.ucsc.edu/mfa/campuswide.html
MFA is the right thing to do to protect our campus. As a research university, your intellectual property and our institutional data are of high interest to cyber criminals. Securing your account with MFA is an effective countermeasure to ensure that critical university systems are only accessed by authorized users.
If you have questions or concerns, please submit a SlugHub ticket at https://itrequest.ucsc.edu, or contact the ITS Support Center by email help@ucsc.edu or telephone 459-HELP(4357).
