{"id":553,"date":"2025-09-17T16:53:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T20:53:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/?p=553"},"modified":"2026-08-19T09:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T13:57:13","slug":"multi-factor-authentication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/","title":{"rendered":"Multi-Factor Authentication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns sidebar is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-4a938530 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<p class=\"is-style-intro\">To help mitigate the risk of a compromised account, Clark uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) on our accounts. Once enrolled, your access to important Clark systems will be secured with both a password AND confirmation from a second factor, like a smartphone app, SMS message or security token.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ITS, along with Microsoft and most major information security organizations, strongly recommend using Microsoft Authenticator as your primary factor.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Authenticator apps are more secure against SIM cloning, interception, and social-engineering phishing. Additionally, they allow users more flexibility when traveling away from their primary phone number and when offline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"arrow\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.clarku.edu\/support\/search\/solutions?term=MFA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to set up MFA for the first time<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column sidebar-right is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 sidebar-right\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/support.clarku.edu\/support\/search\/solutions?term=MFA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">step-by-step set-up<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-width wp-block-button__width-100 sidebar-right\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/mysignins.microsoft.com\/security-info\">manage your factors<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What is multi-factor authentication?<\/summary>\n<p>Click below to watch a short (3 minute) video about Multi-Factor Authentication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mediaspace.clarku.edu\/media\/Multi-Factor+Authentication\/1_0g9q1xvq?_gl=1*n2mb22*_gcl_au*MTQ1Nzg5MjE0MS4xNzUyMjQwNTU4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2025-06-30_14-26-41.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2025-06-30_14-26-41.png 458w, https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2025-06-30_14-26-41-300x149.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Multi-Factor Authentication, sometimes referred to as\u202fTwo-Step\u202fLogin,\u202fTwo-Factor\u202fAuthentication,\u202for\u202f2FA, is a security enhancement that\u202frequires you to\u202fpresent two\u202f(or more)\u202fpieces of evidence of who you are&nbsp;when logging in to an account.\u202fThis\u202fevidence\u202fshould fall into two (or more)\u202fof these three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>something you know:&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;a password or PIN<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>something you have: for example, an application on your phone or a bank card<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>something you are: for example, a fingerprint or retinal scan<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, you probably already use multi-factor authentication in some form. For example, you\u2019ve used MFA if you\u2019ve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>swiped your bank card (something you have) at the ATM and then entered your PIN (something you know).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>logged into a website, like Amazon, with a username and password (something you know) and was then sent a numeric code to your phone (something you have), which you entered to gain access to your account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Multi-factor authentication helps to protect your personal data, identity and money.&nbsp;ITS recommends enabling multi-factor authentication (or Two-Step Login) where available for any online services that you use regularly&nbsp;such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/landing\/2step\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google\/Gmail<\/a>,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/HT204915\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Apple<\/a>&nbsp;and others.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>Can I use SMS\/Text Messages as my factor?<\/summary>\n<p>Starting in Fall 2026, you will no longer be able to use SMS to authenticateyour account. <\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>I can\u2019t use a smartphone or SMS messaging. How can I use multi-factor authentication?<\/summary>\n<p>If you\u2019re in a position where you can\u2019t use either the smartphone application to authenticate your account, please <a href=\"https:\/\/support.clarku.edu\/a\/tickets\/new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contact the Help Desk<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How can I update my factors?<\/summary>\n<p>You may need to do this if you buy or sell your smartphone, change your phone number, or just want to manage your factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mysignins.microsoft.com\/security-info\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to&nbsp;update, add or delete any of your factors.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.clarku.edu\/support\/solutions\/articles\/39000011368-Account-Manage-MFA-Factors\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here for more information about how to update your factors.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What happens if I forget my phone at home and need to teach?<\/summary>\n<p>If you are a faculty or staff member, multi-factor authentication (for most systems) is only required when connecting from off-campus. If you are teaching a class, running a meeting, or need to access resources while on campus, you will not be required to authenticate with your second factor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Students will be required to use multi-factor authentication both on and off campus. If you forget your second factor, you can contact the Help Desk for further advice.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>How often will I need to authenticate using multi-factor authentication?<\/summary>\n<p>You will need to authenticate the first time you use a new device (computer, laptop, phone, tablet, etc.),&nbsp;or browser to access protected systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the initial authentication on a device, you may be asked to reauthenticate again in the future, usually after a number of days\/weeks. ITS will calibrate the timing of reauthentication requests to best balance security needs and your convenience.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-style-faq is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary>What happens if I lose my phone?<\/summary>\n<p>When using multi-factor authentication, your smartphone is an important step in accessing your account. If you lose your device, please <a href=\"https:\/\/support.clarku.edu\/a\/tickets\/new\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reach out to the Help Desk<\/a>\u00a0so we can verify your identity and get you back into your account as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To help mitigate the risk of a compromised account, Clark uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) on our accounts. Once enrolled, your access to important Clark systems will be secured with both a password AND confirmation from a second factor, like a smartphone app, SMS message or security token. ITS, along with Microsoft and most major information [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":377,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[7,21],"tags":[35],"class_list":["post-553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-explore-services","category-m","tag-m"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.1 (Yoast SEO v28.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Multi-Factor Authentication | Information Technology Services | Clark University<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Multi-Factor Authentication\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To help mitigate the risk of a compromised account, Clark uses multi-factor authentication (MFA) on our accounts. 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ITS, along with Microsoft and most major information [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Information Technology Services\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ClarkUniversityWorcester\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-17T20:53:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-19T13:57:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/92\/2025-06-30_14-26-41.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"458\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"227\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" 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evidence of who you are&nbsp;when logging in to an account.\u202fThis\u202fevidence\u202fshould fall into two (or more)\u202fof these three categories:\n\nsomething you know:&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;a password or PIN\nsomething you have: for example, an application on your phone or a bank card\nsomething you are: for example, a fingerprint or retinal scan\n\nIn fact, you probably already use multi-factor authentication in some form. For example, you\u2019ve used MFA if you\u2019ve:\n\nswiped your bank card (something you have) at the ATM and then entered your PIN (something you know).\nlogged into a website, like Amazon, with a username and password (something you know) and was then sent a numeric code to your phone (something you have), which you entered to gain access to your account.\n\nMulti-factor authentication helps to protect your personal data, identity and money.&nbsp;ITS recommends enabling multi-factor authentication (or Two-Step Login) where available for any online services that you use regularly&nbsp;such as&nbsp;Google\/Gmail,&nbsp;&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;and others.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-2","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-2","name":"Can I use SMS\/Text Messages as my factor?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Starting in Fall 2026, you will no longer be able to use SMS to authenticateyour account.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-3","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-3","name":"I can\u2019t use a smartphone or SMS messaging. How can I use multi-factor authentication?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"If you\u2019re in a position where you can\u2019t use either the smartphone application to authenticate your account, please contact the Help Desk.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-4","position":4,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-4","name":"How can I update my factors?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You may need to do this if you buy or sell your smartphone, change your phone number, or just want to manage your factors.\n\nClick here to&nbsp;update, add or delete any of your factors.\nClick here for more information about how to update your factors.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-5","position":5,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-5","name":"What happens if I forget my phone at home and need to teach?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"If you are a faculty or staff member, multi-factor authentication (for most systems) is only required when connecting from off-campus. If you are teaching a class, running a meeting, or need to access resources while on campus, you will not be required to authenticate with your second factor.\nStudents will be required to use multi-factor authentication both on and off campus. If you forget your second factor, you can contact the Help Desk for further advice.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-6","position":6,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-6","name":"How often will I need to authenticate using multi-factor authentication?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"You will need to authenticate the first time you use a new device (computer, laptop, phone, tablet, etc.),&nbsp;or browser to access protected systems.\nAfter the initial authentication on a device, you may be asked to reauthenticate again in the future, usually after a number of days\/weeks. ITS will calibrate the timing of reauthentication requests to best balance security needs and your convenience.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-7","position":7,"url":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/multi-factor-authentication\/#faq-7","name":"What happens if I lose my phone?","answerCount":"1","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"When using multi-factor authentication, your smartphone is an important step in accessing your account. If you lose your device, please reach out to the Help Desk\u00a0so we can verify your identity and get you back into your account as quickly as possible.","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"fimg_url":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=553"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1388,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553\/revisions\/1388"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.clarku.edu\/information-technology-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}