Six years ago, SMU implemented DUO to protect our data proactively. Since introducing two-factor authentication (2FA), we have seen quite an expansion throughout our services.
We first implemented DUO in 2016 to protect access to my.SMU and later webmail for our faculty and staff as passwords can often be stolen, guessed, and hacked, and we needed a solution to secure our data better. Once our faculty and staff gained familiarity with DUO, it was introduced to students on April 1, 2019, through our “Security is No Joke” campaign.
Three months later, we implemented DUO for Office 365, and most campus services would utilize DUO by the fall of 2019. To better protect personally identifiable information and academic information, the Academic Technology Council also approved two-factor authentication for faculty and staff when using Canvas which was implemented in July 2020, followed by the inclusion of many library systems the next month.
In addition to the many services that have been secured, the team has feverishly worked to expand services for sponsored accounts, such as Kelly temporary and Siemens employees, former student accounts, and retirees.
As SMU continues to expand global research and academic efforts, our data will continue to increase, and we will continue to work diligently to safeguard our data collection.
Update 12/22/2022: Added start date for clarification.
