Service Notes

Yesterday, ITS completed a required change to the way multi-factor authentication (MFA) is provided for University Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft sign-ins. Cisco Duo remains our MFA service; however, the Microsoft sign-in screens may look slightly different than they did previously.

This is an expected change. You do not need to take any action unless prompted during your next sign-in.

What is changing

When you sign in to a University Microsoft service—such as Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Microsoft 365, or another application using your University account—you may now see an additional Microsoft sign-in screen before Duo opens.

You may be asked to:

1. Enter your University email address and password as usual.

2. Select Next.

3. On the “Verify your identity” screen, select Cisco Duo or Use Cisco Duo.

4. Complete your normal Duo verification using Duo Push, a passcode, or another Duo method you already use.

After you select Cisco Duo, the familiar Duo prompt will appear and you can approve the sign-in as you normally would.

What you may see

During the transition, sign-in screens may vary slightly depending on the application, device, browser, and whether you are signing in for the first time after the update. For example, you may see:

• A Next button before the Duo prompt appears.

• A screen asking you to choose Cisco Duo as your verification method.

• An option such as Use Cisco Duo, Choose a different method, or Other ways to sign in before you are directed to Duo.

• Your usual Duo Push notification, passcode prompt, or other Duo verification option after choosing Cisco Duo.

These screens are part of the updated Microsoft authentication process and do not indicate a problem with your account.

What to do

When prompted to verify your sign-in:

• Select Cisco Duo or Use Cisco Duo.

• Complete the Duo verification request only if you initiated the sign-in.

• If you receive a Duo Push request that you did not initiate, deny it and report it to the IT Help Desk.

Do not approve an unexpected Duo request. A fraudulent sign-in attempt may present as an unexpected authentication prompt, even when the sign-in screen itself looks familiar.

Questions or help

If you cannot select Cisco Duo, cannot complete your normal Duo verification, or receive an authentication prompt you do not understand, please contact the IT Help Desk for assistance at (660) 785-4544