Page 21 - 2021 OIT Progress Report

accessibility from the commons while further preventing possible entry points for cybercriminals to wreak havoc on SMU systems.
Not stopping there, SMU began testing a new administrative permissions management tool. Currently, employees login to their computers with full administrative rights. While this provides
ease of use, it also introduces a vulnerability for malware. While it’s important to make it more challenging for cybercriminals to install malicious software on University-owned computers, employees also expect to manage their devices and install software easily. We tested several different solutions and expect to conduct a more widescale pilot of these tools this year.
The use of Duo and two-factor authentication
has also greatly increased the protection of
our accounts. Throughout the year, we have transitioned several services to use two factor authentication and have identified another group of services that will be enabled early this fall. When launched in 2016, the use of phone and SMS
(text messaging) as an authentication method for two-factor authentication on campus was provided as an easy transition to the new security process. With the ability to spoof phone numbers becoming more readily available and the wider adoption of smartphones that can support the Duo Mobile
app, SMU will begin phasing out phone and SMS authentication methods. While the easiest and most effective option for two-factor authentication is to install the Duo Mobile app on your device,
we will continue to provide the option of using a hardware token to authenticate.
These small changes, albeit sometimes slightly inconvenient, help strengthen our systems against cybercriminals and increase the protection of your own sensitive data and that of the entire SMU community. We will continue to provide not only the latest technology to protect you and your data, but also provide you with actionable information to keep you well aware of current cybercrime prevention methods.
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