Office of University Relations

315 Burruss Hall (0229)

Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
540-231-5396
email: vtnews@vt.edu
www.vtnews.vt.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact:
Olivia Hart
Public Relations Student, Virginia Tech
17 Shanks Hall,
Blacksburg, Virginia
Ph: (540)-327-3844
oliviag@vt.edu

Two-form Authentication Starting July 4th

Virginia Tech will be launching two-factor authentication full time for all students, faculty, and
staff members starting July 4th
BLACKSBURG, Va. April 21, 2016 Starting July 4th all Virginia Tech faculty and members
and students will be required to use a new security login process referred to as two-factor
authentication. The goal of two-factor authentication is to combat phishing scams and other
vulnerabilities to university, faculty, and student information. The system will add an extra level
of protection to the personal and intellectual information. The new system requires authorization
from a physical device.
As the techniques that cyber criminals use become more sophisticated, there is an increased risk
of having our data stolen or corrupted. More than a minor inconvenience, it's well-funded,
organized crime - they're after money, research data, personal information, and more. In most
cases, it is pretty easy to get a hold of somebody's password - and like many other universities
and corporations, Virginia Tech decided that it was time to go ahead and move beyond just a
simple password to help keep everyone's data safe, said Angela Correa, Communications
Manager for Converged Technologies for Security, Safety, and Resilience at Virginia Tech
With over 32,000 student and over 7,000 full time faculty and staff members this new two-form
authentication system will be protecting an immense amount of information. Virginia Tech
opened up access to two-factor authentication earlier this year as an option for students to start
protecting their information.
Two-factor authentication was put in place here to protect our data and yours in the face of
increasing threats to the university infrastructure. It is a relatively simple change, and certainly
not without some growing pains. It will have tremendous benefits from a security standpoint,
said Brenda van Gelder, Executive Director of Converged Technologies for Security, Safety and
Resilience at Virginia Tech
Invent the Future
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The new system is very simple to use and there are a few different ways to login into two form
authentication. With either a tablet or cellphone users can login with the Duo Security app, send
a text message, or an automated voice call to any type of phone. There is also an option to
purchase a hardware token that does not require the use of a cell phone. This hardware token can
be used as your physical device as an alternative to a phone or tablet.
A new feature was released in February that now allows the user to choose an option that
remembers the user for seven days on that device. This new option is a convenient way to protect
your information without approving the login on your device with each entry.
The seven day option has made two-factor authentication much easier for me to use. Now if I
accidently forget my phone at home I can still login on my own approved device, said Aaron
Tillar, an engineering major at Virginia Tech from Mechanicsville, VA.
Virginia Tech has committed many different resources over the last year to launch two-factor
authentication but the university believes that the cost of the new system is nowhere near the
price of what a major security breach would be to the university, to students, and to faculty and
staff members.
It is recommended that students set up two-factor authentication before leaving for summer so
that they are familiar with the system.

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