Note: The implementation of Duo MFA for campus VPNs, which was originally scheduled for March 14 but then postponed due to the campus closure, will now take place on Tuesday, March 19.
In an ongoing effort to better secure personal and financial data at CU Boulder, Duo multi-factor authentication (MFA) will be required when using CU Boulder’s VPN service starting Tuesday, March 19. In the same way you use Duo MFA to access Buff Portal or MyCUInfo, you will be prompted to authenticate with Duo when you manually connect to a campus VPN. Users of the Always On VPN will not be prompted to authenticate with Duo. Learn more about CU Boulder’s VPN.
Why are we doing this?
It’s important that our campus continually update its systems and do everything it can to reasonably protect both the personal information of our students, faculty and staff and the university’s data, finances and reputation from the increasing threat of cybersecurity attacks. MFA has been shown to block 99.9% of attacks in which personal credentials have been compromised, which in turn will help to safeguard the university’s online data.
What if I’m not enrolled in Duo MFA?
The vast majority of CU Boulder’s students, faculty and staff are already enrolled in Duo MFA. But if you haven’t logged into Buff Portal or MyCUInfo since January 9 when Duo authentication was first required, you will need to enroll in Duo the first time you try to connect with the AnyConnect client. Learn how to enroll in Duo MFA on the OIT website.
If you have questions about this new MFA requirement or about the campus VPN service, please contact the IT Service Center at oithelp@colorado.edu or 303-735-4357.
