Starting June 11, 2025, University students, faculty, and staff will no longer be able to authenticate through Duo using phone calls or text messages. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is instead urging all users to switch to more secure options, primarily the Duo Mobile app.
The change, announced in a May 29 email, is because phone- and text-based two-factor authentication methods have become “a common target for hackers looking to compromise accounts, according to OIT. Duo will no longer allow for these two authentication methods, impacting hundreds of institutions that use Duo as an authentication provider.
OIT is directing community members to the Princeton Duo Portal, where they can add a new authentication device. After logging in with their Princeton NetID and password and authenticating with Duo, users can select “Add a device” and follow instructions to install and activate the Duo Mobile app on either iOS or Android.
In addition to the app, biometric options are available. These include Windows Hello, which allows users to authenticate using a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition on Windows 10 and 11 devices; Touch ID or Face ID on Apple devices, including Macs, iPhones, and iPads; and Android biometric login, which varies depending on the specific device. OIT recommends setting up at least one backup method in case a primary device becomes unavailable.
The move to tighten Duo authentication follows a broader trend of increased cybersecurity precautions at Princeton. In April, the Information Security Office sent an email to the University community regarding a spike in phishing activity and announced that it had lowered its spam tolerance to reduce the number of malicious emails reaching inboxes.
According to data provided to The Daily Princetonian by OIT, phishing attempts at the University have risen 44 percent since 2022.
If a user cannot set up the Duo Mobile app or a biometric alternative, OIT says it will provide support via the Service Desk.
OIT did not respond to the ‘Prince’ for comment by the time of publication.
Ben Goldston is a staff News writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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