UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of the transition from Duo to Microsoft Authenticator for multifactor authentication (MFA), Penn State will require most students to enroll in Microsoft MFA by May 8. MFA is an additional layer of security that requires verifying your identity on a secondary device.

Starting March 23, students will be able to self-enroll in Microsoft MFA by adding and registering their smartphone or another personal device used to confirm their identity. Once enrolled, students will authenticate through Microsoft MFA to access University-affiliated sites and services. More details and enrollment instructions will be communicated to students on March 23.

Microsoft MFA is mandatory for all students, except for students graduating in May. Students not enrolled by the May 8 deadline will not be able to register for classes, retrieve their grades, or access any secure sites and services such as Outlook email, Canvas and LionPATH until they enroll in Microsoft MFA.

The deadline to enroll in Microsoft MFA for students at Dickinson Law, Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs has been extended to May 17 to accommodate their two-week final exam period. Students traveling abroad this summer should enroll by May 5. Students at the College of Medicine will transition to Microsoft MFA along with the college’s faculty and staff members later this year. More information about the College of Medicine transitions will be provided later. 

The new Microsoft MFA is different from Duo, but its purpose and functionality remain the same. Although Microsoft MFA will be the University’s primary authentication method moving forward, do not uninstall Duo now, as there may be some systems and services within the University that still require it. You also may be using Duo for other non-Penn State instances outside the University.

Transitioning to Microsoft MFA enables the University to reduce costs by aligning with other Microsoft tools it's already using, streamline service management, and enhance Penn State’s security posture.