Austin Community College District (ACC) will begin requiring Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for student accounts starting September 28. The added security measure will help protect student accounts and information, including financial aid records, academic information, and access to ACC systems.
MFA adds a second verification step when students sign in to ACC systems that use their ACCeID. After entering their ACCeID and password, students will verify their identity using a device or authentication app.
“Most digital break-ins happen when passwords are stolen through phishing scams. MFA acts as an extra shield of protection—even if a hacker gets hold of your password, they still won’t be able to log in without that second verification step,” says Sandra Geremnis, ACC Associate Vice Chancellor of IT Shared Services.
Beginning September 28, students will be prompted to register a verification method the first time they log in to an ACC system using their ACCeID.
Recommended options include:
- Okta Verify: Approve login attempts with a notification on a smartphone.
- Authenticator apps: Use apps such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator to generate temporary security codes.
- Built-in device security: Use device features such as Touch ID or Face ID when available.
MFA will apply when accessing ACC systems such as ACCmail, Blackboard, Zoom, and other services that use an ACCeID login.
Don’t Have Reliable Smartphone Access? Please contact the Student Help Desk at 512-223-4636 for additional support.
Additional instructions and support information will be available on ACC’s MFA resource page. Learn more and prepare for the change at austincc.edu/ITsafety.
Tags: Cybersecurity, MFA, Multi-Factor Authentication, Security
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