Multi-Factor Authentication provides an essential layer of security to the simple username and password login. Many people are becoming fatigued and might not be paying attention when allowing a method like SMS or a phone call for approving your sign in. The ease of accidentally accepting a call and allowing an attacker to access an account is a very high risk. Due to this risk and to better secure Norwich University Systems, Norwich ITS will be removing authentication via SMS and Phone Call methods by the end of the year 2022. The preferred method is the Microsoft Authenticator App or a hardware token provided by IT.
NOTE: Hardware tokens are available to faculty and staff only.
Read more about how hackers are using MFA fatigue to exploit MFA methods here:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/mfa-fatigue-hackers-new-favorite-tactic-in-high-profile-breaches/
Checking your Default MFA Method
To check if you are using either of the above two methods as default, navigate to http://sso.norwich.edu and log in with your Norwich Credentials and Multifactor Authentication. Once logged in, navigate to the top right corner where your profile image is, and click on the image:
From here, a menu should open, and you should see a link named “View account” click this:
This will bring you to an account page with multiple boxes of information. Click on the link named Update info in the box named Security info.
This should bring you to a page with your sign-in methods. There is a Default sign-in method line (see image below). If your method lists an Authenticator app or hardware token like the image below, you are all set! If it doesn’t, keep following this article.
Click Add Sign-in method, then select the Authenticator App method. Don’t choose any other option as all other options EXCEPT FOR the Authenticator App will not be allowed in the future.
Follow the steps in this Article on how to set up the authenticator app as another method:
https://norwich.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/1978/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=116375
Making a Sign-in Method default
To change your default sign-in method, click the Change link next to your current default method.
This will bring a dialog box up with all the methods. Select the “Authentication App or Hardware Token” option:
This will now set the Authenticator App or Hardware token as the default method for authentication.