Multi-Factor Authentication Causing Frustration Among Students and Staff

By Ridimerb Diaz-Ramirez | Published May 3, 2023

Kean University has implemented an authentication system for students and staff to use when logging into their emails or any university-related web services and students and faculty alike are not satisfied. 

When this system first came into effect, users logging in were prompted to set up either a Google authenticator or an Okta Verify account. After creating either authentication account, each time users attempt to log in they are asked to authenticate themselves. 

Okta Verify seemed to be a more favored option by students, faculty, and staff however they have complained that the process to log into their accounts seems unnecessarily long and complicated. 

Okta Verify is a service that allows anyone to connect with applications on any device. It provides protection by authenticating the person when accessing any application.  According to a representative from Okta on the website of Built in Seattle, they got their name from “a meteorological form”.

“An ‘okta’ is a unit of measurement used to describe cloudiness. The number of oktas in the sky can range from zero to eight: if it’s zero oktas, it’s a clear blue-sky day; eight oktas means it’s completely overcast,” a representative from Okta said on the website of Built in Seattle.

On June 6, 2022, the Office of Computer Information Services Sent an email announcing changes to the login page due to a new partnership with Okta.

The email informed staff and students that there will be a new login page, as well as a Multi-Factor Authentication That will be enabled to provide protection for all the university web services. 

While the new login page was enabled, it wasn’t until March 7 that the new Multi-Factor Authentication was enabled in all student accounts. 

The university sent out an email on March 3 to notify all – students of this service and the steps needed to set up their MFA with Okta Verify. 

The new changes are meant to prevent anyone accessing student and staff accounts, and to keep all your information safe and secure, according to the emails sent by OCIS. Students have expressed their frustration and wish for some type of change that either allows them to not to have to keep logging in over and over, or for the steps to be simplified since it takes up time.

Affan Shafqat, a Kean senior, specialist for social science, and intern at the Wellness Center said it feels like what he called “red tape-ism.” 

“Sometimes when you are working, you have to log in and it will take 3-5 minutes, and it’s just a total waste of time,” Shafqat said. 

Shafqat understands that the school is making the changes for security purposes, but he wishes the process was easier and faster for the faculty and students. 

Ayomide Adeniji, a senior majoring in psychology, also understands the need for security but she expressed frustration with the length of the process. 

“It’s good in preventing scams and spams and all which I guess they’re trying to prevent,” Adeniji said. 

Adeniji said the Gmail app is great but if the tab closes, or resets, or you have to sign in from another device that belongs to you, then you have to use the MFA. 

“It’s really inconvenient to go to the verification app for the code, especially because there’s like three and you need to try all to get the right one,” Adeniji said. 

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