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Duo Verified Push

OIT is deploying a risk-based verified push feature in Duo that will help cut down on compromised accounts and improve cybersecurity all across campus.

What is a DUO Verified Push? Examples Below

Verified Push is a more secure version of Duo Push that requires users to enter a numeric code from the authentication prompt on their mobile device. When Duo detects an anomaly in your login pattern, it will display a code on the screen the person is using to log in. You will simultaneously get a request to answer the code in your Duo app. The code will be a mandatory step to log in the first time you use the device, but will happen less frequently the more you use the device.

Duo’s Risk-Based Authentication automatically detects and mitigates commonly known attack patterns and high-risk anomalies. Risk-Based Authentication consists of two key capabilities: Risk-Based Factor Selection and Risk-Based Remembered Devices.

How is risk assessed by DUO?

  • User marked fraud: A user has indicated they weren’t responsible for a login by marking it as suspicious in the Duo Mobile app.
  • Push harassment: A pattern of failed authentications is consistent with an adversary performing a targeted push harassment attack against a single user.
  • Push spray: A pattern of failed authentications is consistent with an adversary performing a non-targeted push attack against multiple users.
  • Unrealistic travel: A user attempts to authenticate from a new location that would be impossible to reach based on the past authentication time and location.
  • Country code mismatch: The authentication device and access device appear to be in two different countries.
  • Novel ASN: A user attempts to authenticate from an autonomous system number (ASN) not seen in the organization’s recent history of successful authentication.

What is the point?

Verified Duo Push automatically adds a separate layer of security on top of the push by asking the user to complete an action that requires them to interact with both the access and the authentication devices.

Limitations

  • Apple Watch experience is degraded. The full QWERTY keyboard makes entering the code a challenge. You are able to illustrate or narrate your code as an alternative.
  • In iOS, the numeric keyboard is only launched in the Duo app. If you attempt to approve directly from notification, you will have QWERTY. The approval still works, just less smoothly.
  • Verified Push only works when combined with the Duo mobile app. Phone call and SMS authentication are unsupported. Hardware token usage is unchanged as well. If a phone call is the only way to authenticate due to accessibility reasons, we can add the user to an exception group.

Want to learn more?

You can find out more about Verified Push on Duo’s website: CLICK HERE

Paty Hall Wi-Fi Outage – Sept. 20, 2023

UA-Xfinity residential wireless internet experienced an outage in Paty Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 20 that began at 2:00 PM and ended at 7 PM. On Sept. 21 at 5 AM Xfinity replaced some equipment that supports your Wi-Fi network in your building to ensure a better experience moving forward.

If you have any questions or concerns, contact Xfinity at 833-455-2678.

VMware Storage Issue September 18, 2023

VMware encountered a storage issue that is impacting some of the University’s VMWare hosts. VMware is responsible for running virtual machines and servers. The issue began at 3:00 a.m., and OIT is working to resolve the issue. Visit status.oit.ua.edu for updates.

Residential Wi-Fi Outage – Sept. 17, 2023

UA-Xfinity residential wireless internet experienced an extended outage Saturday, Sept. 17 from 3:00 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. During that time, internet access was unavailable to many on-campus residents. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Xfinity at 833-455-2678.

Residential Wi-Fi Outage – Sept. 8, 2023

UA-Xfinity residential wireless internet experienced an extended outage Friday, Sept. 8 from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. During that time, internet access was unavailable to many on-campus residents. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Xfinity at 833-455-2678.

2023 Adobe Celebration Week – Sept. 11-15

Join OIT for a kick-off event on the Quad Sept. 12 from 12:00 – 4:00 pm. as part of the 2023 Adobe Celebration Week, Sept. 11-15. All week we’ll feature guest presenters and host workshops focused around the Adobe Creative Cloud Tools.

During the 2023 Adobe Celebration Week, we’ll dive into new Adobe offerings that utilize some of the most exciting trends in emerging technology: interactive design, on-the-go video storytelling, and more. As a reminder, Adobe Creative Cloud is available to all UA students, faculty and staff. This event is designed to spur creativity and encourage the use of Adobe Creative Cloud software across campus. We hope you’ll join us!

See a full list of the 2023 Adobe Celebration Week events and virtual workshops!

Artificial Intelligence Increases Threat of Extortion

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns about a growing trend of malicious individuals using deep fake technology for explicit extortion attacks. This brand of extortion involves threatening victims with publicly releasing explicit images or videos unless they pay a ransom. Previously, the compromising content used in extortion was often fake, but now threat actors are scraping publicly available images from social media platforms. They use these images as input for deep fake content creation tools, generating AI-generated explicit content that looks highly realistic. The FBI has observed an increase in extortion victims reporting the use of fake images or videos created from their social media posts or captured during video chats.

Bad actors are achieving this with content creation tools available online, including free ones, that can generate realistic videos using just a single image of a person’s face. While some of these tools have built-in protections, those sold on underground forums and the dark web may not.

The FBI’s alert mentions two common demands made by malicious actors: demanding payment with threats to share the images/videos with family or social media friends if funds are not received or forcing the victim to send real sexually-themed images or videos. The created explicit content may be posted directly to pornographic websites, exposing victims without their consent. This media manipulation activity has unfortunately affected minors as well.

To protect oneself, OIT recommends practicing safe habits online, considering the risks of sharing personal media, restricting access to personal content, and reporting any deep fake content or threats to OIT Security, UAPD, and hosting platforms.

Link to FBI Article

June 5 Phishing Email

On Monday, June 5, many UA students, faculty and staff received a scam email. The subject of the message could be “Now Hiring for Summer Employment” or a variation related to employment, and it appears to be from a Winthrop University email about “The Dimax Centre for Disability Services Council.” This is not a message from Winthrop or a disability services council and should not be engaged with. If you received this message, please mark it as spam in Outlook. If you have any questions, contact the IT Service Desk at 205-348-5555 or itsd@ua.edu.