Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an extra layer of security to faculty and staff accounts by ensuring only you can approve valid log in attempts to your account. Multi-factor authentication pairs something you know (like your password) with something you have (like a cell phone, phone number, or other device that can verify you) to ensure that an attacker cannot login to your account without access to both methods.
After MFA is configured for your account, faculty and staff will be asked to verify your sign-in during certain off-campus log in attempts to make sure that you, and only you, can log in to your account and access your personal and private data.
Currently, applications utilizing utilizing LSUE's Microsoft Office 365 authentication services (faculty/staff email, OneDrive, Teams, Zoom, etc) are protected by MFA.
Whether it is your first time setting up MFA for your account, or you just need to update your phone number or make an adjustment, the MFA Setup portal can always be accessed by faculty and staff at https://www.lsue.edu/mfa. Please note that you will need access to at least one of your MFA verification methods to sign-in to the MFA setup portal, even if you are on campus.
There are three different types of verification for faculty and staff:
You should configure one of the three methods as your primary method and preferably configure an extra alternate method to use as a backup (for example, you might lose your phone or not be able to receive a phone call—having access to a second method makes sure you always have the ability to access
your account). Ideally, you should have a backup method on a completely separate device
from your primary device. You can use an alternate authentication phone number that
is not tied to your primary phone as an example.
When configuring a phone number, we recommend using your personal cell phone number since this is the number that you will most likely have available to you when trying to log in from off-campus. It does not have to be a cell phone number (and it doesn’t have to be a smart phone, either), but please make sure that any number you use for MFA enrollment is one that you expect to have access to when trying to verify a sign in. The number you use for your authentication phone, or alternate authentication phone, will not be published or used for anything other than verifying your sign-in with Microsoft.
Please do not use your office phone as your primary verification method. MFA will be required when you are off-campus, so if you make your office phone the default verification method (or your only verification method), you will not be able to approve your valid logins and may not be able to access your account from off-campus.
You will need access to at least one of your previously enrolled factors. If you do not have access to any of your MFA factors, please try again later when you will have access or Contact OIT for an MFA reset if none of your factors are available to you anymore.
Access the MFA Setup portal by going to https://www.lsue.edu/mfa
You may be asked to sign in with your username and password. Then, you will have to verify your sign on with one of your enrolled factors.
The portal will show you all your currently configured or available MFA factors. For example, in the screenshot below, this user has the "phone text" method configured and set as default as well as a phone number to call along with the Microsoft Authenticator app enrolled.
In this portal, you can delete, change, or add factors. Choose one of the highlighted links to make the appropriate change.
Click “add method” to add another factor, like an alternate phone or such. You will be required to verify any new method to confirm that it will work.
After making the required changes, don’t forget to check your default method before leaving the MFA portal.
For any additional help around MFA, please Contact OIT.
