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Two Factor Authentication (2FA)
What is 2FA?
To provide added protection to University data, UAEU employs 2-factor or “multi-fac-
tor” authentication. In addition to using their username and password (first factor of
authentication), under certain circumstances, users must also authenticate using a
phone (second factor of authentication). The advantage of adding a second factor of
authentication is that in the event that a user’s credentials (username/password) are
compromised, that alone will be insufficient for someone to gain access to sensitive
university data. They would also need to gain possession of the users’ phone in order
to make use of the compromised credentials. DoIT uses F5 Networks and Etisalat SMS
services to provide this second factor of authentication and increase the protection of
UAEU data.
Factors of Authentication
»
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Something you know
»
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Something you have
• Username and password/passphrase
• Pin
• Security question
• A device such as a phone, token, security badge, etc
Author: Sajid Ali
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July 2018
DoIT Newsletter