Article Type: General Information
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) FAQs
This article covers:
- 1) What is Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)?
- 2) Why is MFA needed?
- 3) When does Minnesota State require accounts to be MFA enrolled?
- 4) Does MFA store my personal phone data?
- 5) How will signing in to my account be different with MFA?
- 6) How often will I be prompted for verification?
- 7) How do I set up and enroll in to MFA to attain this added layer of security protection?
- 8) I am both an employee and student - what do I need to know?
- 9) What if I am employed or take classes at multiple Minnesota State institutions?
After MFA Set up and Enrollment FAQs
- 10) How do I add an alternate sign-in authentication option or make changes to my MFA options?
- 11) Why is setting up an alternate backup phone number important? How can I avoid being locked out of my account?
- 12) I have set up an alternate sign-in authentication option, how do I view and select alternate sign-in options?
- 13) I will be transitioning to a new phone or new phone number, what do I need to do?
- 1) What is Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)?
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), also called 2-Factor Verification, is a way of making sure that only students, staff, and faculty are logging into our systems.
We want to keep phishing email attacks and scams from happening here at HTC. Each person who uses MFA helps to keep our systems and data safer from these email attacks and scams. MFA helps make sure you really are the person who is logging into your account. When MFA is in place for you, your account and data will be better protected.
- 3) When does Minnesota State require accounts to be MFA enrolled?
The O365 multi-factor authentication is a service provided through the Minnesota State Microsoft O365 tenant. The Minnesota State System Office IT in partnership with each Minnesota State institution is requiring all accounts to have MFA enrollment by November 2021. This solution helps protect not only your account, but all data and applications connected to the Minnesota State O365 tenant.
- 4) Does MFA store my personal phone data?
No. None of your personal data is stored from any phone device you select for MFA set up and enrollment or by installing and using the Microsoft Authenticator app. MFA is not designed for data storage, it’s design and purpose is as an authentication utility. The Microsoft Authenticator app verifies authentication within the sign-in process in order to access Minnesota State O365 provided services.
- 5) How will signing in to my account be different with MFA protection?
When you log in to O365 connected applications, after entry of your MinnState credentials, you will receive a notification via the MFA notification option you selected during set up (a text, a phone call, or mobile Microsoft Authenticator App verification) to prompt you to confirm verification.
- 6) How often will I be prompted for verification?
You will not be prompted for verification every time you sign in. Generally, it's only used the first time you sign into an app or device. Whenever you change your password, you will be prompted for verification.
- 7) How do I set up and enroll in to MFA to attain this added layer of security protection?
If you are an employee and have not been automatically enrolled, refer to: MFA Main Article Self-Enrollment: Set up O365 Multi-factor Authentication for MFA options and set up instructions.
If you are an employee and have been automatically enrolled, refer to: MFA Main Article Automatic Enrollment: Set up O365 Multi-factor Authentication for MFA options and set up instructions.
If you are a new student refer to: MFA Main Article Automatic Enrollment: Set up O365 Multi-factor Authentication for MFA options and set up instructions.
If you are a current student and want to sign up for MFA, refer to: MFA Main Article Self-Enrollment: Set up O365 Multi-factor Authentication for MFA options and set up instructions.
- 8) I am both an employee and student - what do I need to know?
If you are both employee and student, you will need to set up MFA on both your employee and student accounts.
- 9) What if I am employed or take classes at multiple Minnesota State institutions?
If you are employed or take classes at multiple Minnesota State University / Colleges you only need to do this once per employee/student account.
After MFA Set up and Enrollment FAQs
- 10) How do I add an alternate sign-in authentication option or make changes to my MFA options?
Refer to: MFA: Set Up Alternate Sign-in, Add or Make Changes
- 11) Why is setting up an alternate backup phone number important? How can I avoid being locked out of my account?
To help ensure you are not locked out of your account, it is important to set up one or more alternate options in the event you do not have access to your primary phone, for instance if:
- You do not have immediate access to your primary authentication phone
- Your phone battery is dead
- Your primary phone device is lost, stolen or damaged
- You get a new phone and no longer have your original primary phone number
Instructions: MFA: Set Up Alternate Sign-in, Add or Make Changes
- 12) I have set up an alternate sign-in authentication option, how do I view and select alternate sign-in options?
Refer to: MFA: View and Select Alternate Sign-In Option(s)
- 13) I will be transitioning to a new phone or new phone number, what do I need to do?
Refer to: MFA: New Phone or Number Change
Want to get started?
Click here to learn about the three identity verification options.
Want to know more?
Click here for instructions to self-enroll.
Click here to see a video to learn more about MFA.