In an effort to make our systems more secure, and to meet our cyber security requirements for our insurance policy, we are working to move everyone to use Two Factor Authentication (2FA) when logging into their Google Workspace.
2FA is a more secure method to access any account you may have. Instead of just needing to know your password, you also need to prove who you are with a second method which could be a text to your cell phone or a security key fob. You may already be familiar with this technology through one of your financial websites or another secured site as this is quickly becoming more common. Google is also working to roll out this requirement on personal gmail accounts as well in the near future.
On Tuesday April 5th, IT will be setting a flag on your account that will prompt you to set up 2FA (if it is not already set up.) The next time you sign into Google on your computer, you will be automatically prompted to set up 2FA. There will be a 8 week window to set this up so choose the best time for you in the next 8 weeks. (There will be an option to skip the setup if you want to do it later.) We suggest having access to your phone when you set this up as one of the options is to set a backup number in case you don’t have access to your primary method, which is usually text. If you use your phone number, it will call you to validate that method so you must be able to answer it.
To get started, logout of your email on your computer and log back in. The most common method for 2FA with Google is to use a text on your cell phone.
The process is straightforward and user friendly so we are not sending out step by step instructions but if you have any questions setting this up or want assistance, please contact the HelpDesk.
