Extra Login Security with Duo

Help safeguard student success by securing your account with Duo today.

We all sometimes have trouble coming up with and remembering secure passwords. Duo is a multi-factor authentication app that helps make your account more secure by making it more difficult for anyone but you to access it, even if they have guessed your unique, random, secret password ("Winter2020!"). Duo sends a notification to your device (such as your smartphone) to confirm your identity after you enter your username and password.

Duo is currently only available to employees, but ITS is looking into making this available to students soon.

How to Get and Use Duo: Enroll a Device

Duo is not required for most employees yet. While we plan to eventually get all faculty and staff enrolled in Duo, we think that a gradual, staged release is best. If you have access to sensitive information or administrative mission-critical systems, you are especially encouraged to enroll in Duo now. Some areas of ITS have been or will be required to enroll. Duo will only prompt you when logging in to certain resources, such as email and the Cloud.

Setting up a smartphone or other personal device to use Duo to verify your identity is quick:

  1. Go to duo.cpcc.edu and select “Start Setup.”
  2. Choose the device you want to use to verify your identity when you log in.
  3. Continue following the instructions to set up your device. This includes installing the Duo app to the device you want to enroll. The requirements to install and run the Duo Mobile app depend on your device type:
    1. iOS (iPhone, iPad) Duo support information
    2. Android Duo support information
    3. Windows Phone Duo support information (legacy)
  4. You will receive an “Enrollment Successful” message when done. Select “Dismiss.”
  5. Choose what you want Duo to do by default when you login (e.g., automatically send your device a push notification).

When logging in to most Duo-protected services, an option will be available to remember your device for 30 days. (This option doesn't work when you are logging in from a private/incognito browser window). This option should only be used on trusted personal devices. This option requires the use of cookies and may not be compatible with some browser extensions.

If you don’t want to use a personal device or don’t have a smartphone, you can request a device from ITS to use with Duo (limit one per employee). Contact the ITS Help Desk to learn more.

You cannot use another multi-factor authentication app instead of Duo — apps like Authy, Google Authenticator, and 1Password are not compatible with Duo-protected services.

How Many Devices to Enroll

ITS recommends that you enroll at least one extra device as a backup for recovery purposes if your primary device is lost, broken, stolen, or otherwise inaccessible to you. An old smartphone works great as a backup; your work phone’s extension is a decent alternative. Landlines and SMS-only devices will only help you recover access to the Duo site if you lose access; you cannot use a landline or SMS-only device as your enrolled device for regular Duo use.

The number of devices you enroll beyond this depends on how you personally like to work with technology. You may want to enroll additional devices for convenience or to fit the way you work. For example, if you already use a universal 2nd factor ("U2F") hardware device for your personal accounts, you can enroll it with Duo and access most Central Piedmont resources the same way.

Issues Using Duo

  • You Receive a Notification from Duo When You Weren’t Trying to Log In
    1. Select the "Deny" option in the Duo app prompt.
    2. Select "It seemed fraudulent" to alert ITS to the incident. A security analyst may contact you to confirm the report and discuss next steps with you.

  • Your Phone is Dead or Otherwise Inaccessible

    We encourage you to have a backup device enrolled in Duo. If you do not have a backup device enrolled, you will need to complete the following “lost device” steps to use Duo.

  • You Lost Your Duo-Enrolled Device or Got a New Device

    There are a couple of cases where you can regain access to Duo on your own.

    If your replacement phone has the same number as the old one:

    1. Log into duo.cpcc.edu.
    2. Select either "Call Me," to receive a confirmation call, or "Enter a Passcode" and "Text me new codes" to have a new access code texted to you.

    If you enrolled a backup device:

    1. Log into duo.cpcc.edu.
    2. Select the backup device in the device menu.
    3. Select "Call Me" to receive a confirmation call.

    If you enabled Duo Restore for iOS or Android, review the information for your platform:

    If none of these apply to you, call the ITS Help Desk at 704.330.5000 to get access to Duo back. An agent will verify your date of birth, employee ID, and the last four digits of your Social Security number before providing you with a bypass code to access Duo. Bypass codes expire quickly: be ready to log in when you call.

  • You Lost Your Device and Forgot Your Password, or Your Password Expired

    You should normally be able to recover both your password and your secondary device on your own using the previous steps. Where this is not possible, ITS will need to take extra steps to verify your identity:

    1. Ask your supervisor to submit a Multi-Factor Account Recovery form for you. Then, have your supervisor give you the form’s service request number.
    2. Call the Help Desk, provide the service request number, and verify your identity.
    3. The Help Desk agent will provide you with two bypass codes and a temporary password. They will then guide you to:
      1. Use the first bypass code and the temporary password to access the Identity and Access Management (IAM) portal and set new primary credentials.
      2. Wait for the identity automation system to update (allow up to 20 minutes for processing).
      3. Use the second bypass code and your new password to access Duo and enroll a new device(s).

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