MULTI FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

The time has come to secure all staff’s Office 365 accounts with Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)!   

Due to the shift in technology culture over the last two years, cybercriminals have increasingly targeted educational institutions.   According to a report by Doug Levin of K12 SIX, data breaches and phishing have been two of the most common types of cybersecurity incidents in the 2020-2021 K12 school year.  The DTS Cybersecurity team’s mission is to continuously increase confidence in the security of the digital learning environment for our students, community, and staff.

MFA for Office 365 is one of the most significant steps we can take to fight back against password compromise.  It transforms the district email access experience into a powerful multi-layered access experience.  Users are empowered to verify their identity with more than just their username and password.    

When a staff password is compromised: 

  1. Cybercriminals can access JCampus, Office 365, Google, and other accounts connected to that email address. 
  2. Cybercriminals use staff email accounts to spread malware, ransomware, phishes, and other attack vectors. 
  3. Cybercriminals can spoof staff identities for fraudulent financial gain.

Staff can complete MFA for Office 365 using any one or combination of the following methods: 

  1. Text Message 
  2. Voice Call
  3. Microsoft Authenticator App: can be completed with an android/iOS phone or device.  Teacher Chromebooks (Lenovo 14e) can be used for the Microsoft Authenticator App. 
     

What to expect:  

  1. Staff will receive a registration link in an email on the registration kick-off date for each school/site.  
  2. Staff will have 14 days to complete MFA registration from the receipt of the link.  After 14 days, staff must complete MFA before accessing their district emails. 
  3. Staff will only need to authenticate outside the district’s network.  
  4. After successfully authenticating a new device, staff will only need to authenticate the same device after 180 days.  

 

If assistance is needed, staff will have access to the following support. 

  1. Site technology facilitators  (STFs)
  2. EdTech team members 
  3. Onsite DTS technician support – a technician will be onsite briefly during the mornings of the first two days of registration. 
  4. Submit an IT HelpDesk ticket to request assistance 
Video Tutorials

How to Complete MFA (General Guide)

How to complete MFA from a Lenovo 14e Teacher Chromebook

How to Complete MFA from a Computer or Laptop

How to Complete MFA from a Mobile Phone