By Assia Khadri, NET+ Intern, and Nick Lewis, Internet2 Program Manager
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
It was great to have so many research and education institutions join us on May 18th for the NET+ I2 Online Strengthening Access Security in Higher Education event! In case you missed it (or just thought it was so great you wanted to watch it again) the recording of the event is now available along with the following resources and summary of the event.
What is NET+ Duo Security?
NET+ Duo Security is a program designed to provide trusted access to all critical applications – for any user, from anywhere, and with any device. The NET+ Duo Security program is built by and for the higher education community and is used by over 150 higher education campuses today. Custom pricing and higher education-focused contracts for NET+ Duo Security are available as well through the program, making it accessible and affordable to everyone.
How Pacific Lutheran University is Leveraging Duo
At Pacific Lutheran University, David Allen, the Director for Enterprise Systems, along with his team started by challenging the traditional approach to password security by finding solutions that incentivize users to create stronger passwords. This was achieved by implementing password requirements based on a tiered system tied to the level of access to sensitive data the user has with less access – meaning less strict requirements. In terms of multi-factor authentication, those with higher privileges, such as system administrators, are not allowed to use less secure options, like telephony methods, to authenticate. Rather, they must use Yubikeys or web-based biometric authentication which Duo policies manage.
Increasing Trust Using Duo
David spoke about using Duo to improve security around authentication and implementing policies in Duo. Ted Kietzman from Duo Security then went over the functionality available with Duo for device security and policies based on risk. If you want a deep dive into what Ted presented after watching the recording, find more details in the Duo documentation about device security and policies.
There wasn’t time to cover how collected data can be very privacy-sensitive. For privacy-minded folk, Duo Security has an article with details on the type of data collected from devices. This includes the categories of information it collects, how long they retain the information, and for what purpose it is being used. For those interested, please be sure to check out the Duo Privacy Data Sheet. Campuses will need to work through the data collected and manage how the data is used and shared as part of their campus privacy programs.
We would like to thank David Allen and Ted Kietzman for presenting on this webinar! We packed as much as we could into the event. There was not time to show a detailed demo on how to configure specific policies in Duo or how to manage aspects like telephony costs. If you’d like a demo to be set up or have any questions, please reach out to us at netplus@internet2.edu. You can also view videos of demos from Duo.
More Duo Events to Come
Be on the lookout for additional community events later this summer from the NET+ Duo Security program on the Duo Universal Prompt. At the end of the year, look for campus experiences deploying the Duo Universal Prompt.
If you have any additional questions about the NET+ Duo Security Program or would like to sign-up to support the program, please reach out to netplus@internet2.edu.