The following is a satire for the Opinions section.
The new Duo two-factor authentication has been described by students as “the bane of my existence,” “bad” and “an annoyance.” Some students have even been seen roaming campus chanting “lock them up,” showing their displeasure and frustration with the new procedure. The creator of the Duo app, the NSO Group, has tried to reassure students that the app will save time once it’s fully running and keeping an eye on their phone 24/7.
Since the two-factor authentication has been integrated into DU’s security system, there has been a noticeable downtick in the number of spam emails. The tradeoff hasn’t meant much for some students who value their time or forget to charge their phones, leaving them locked out of their school email for days on end. One student claimed they’d “rather be hacked than go through the authentication process.” Another reported far fewer emails from his mother, confirming his suspicion she’d been spamming him for some time.
Professors have commented that they feel much better about the security of their exams as it’s virtually impossible to access them. Exams are now all on paper and with #2 pencils, which are 100% hack-proof. (Duo reports their system is only 99.27% hack-proof).
Sadly for DU students, the current two-factor authentication process is set to be expanded to Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to further strengthen email security. The university is reviewing the final bids from three firms: Anonymous, the Lazarus Group and Fsociety, all of which are well-known among security experts.
When students were asked how they’d respond to this change, one claimed it “wouldn’t matter because [he’s] been locked out of his email since the first roll-out of two-factor authentication” while another said he would “sue the school.” The NSO clarified that with MFA, students wouldn’t be locked out of their accounts as long as Duo mobile had access to their camera.
If DU does intend to move forward with one of the previously stated firms, they should expect mass protests from the student body and refusal to go to class.
MFA truly is an important addition to the current weak security.
