How It Works

Two-factor authentication requires you to pass through two layers of protection in order to gain access to a system or application. Think of it like your house with a safe inside, protecting your most valuable possessions: unlocking the front door with a key (first factor) gives you access to your home and all that it contains; however, you must also know the combination to the safe (second factor) in order to access what’s inside. Information Security Services applies the same principle to keeping Our House safe and secure.

Authentication Factors

The first authentication factor protecting your accounts and University data is something you’re already familiar with: your MyGS password. Information Security applies a sophisticated password policy to your accounts in order to provide the maximum amount of protection possible for this first layer of defense. However, no matter how complex your password is, if cyber criminals figure it out, your account–and the University–is vulnerable to data breaches. Adding a second authentication factor drastically decreases this risk.

The second authentication factor is a physical device–something you control, like a smart phone, tablet, or landline–of your choosing. Some of these devices have multiple options for the methods of authentication available. All of these options are set up by you during the enrollment process. Successfully verifying both factors will permit access to the application or system that two-factor authentication is applied to.

Last updated: 5/30/2022