New System Login Security Coming Soon!

As mentioned in a February 2022 #bsd220tech article, the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) will soon become a critical tool used along side other Barrington 220 systems (Google, Skyward and Infinite Campus). The tech team is gearing up for a district-wide staff rollout. MFA is now a requirement for Barrington 220 (and other school districts) to maintain cybersecurity insurance coverage.

Systems that use multi-factor authentication (MFA) require two or more methods for a user to access a system, usually consisting of something you know (i.e., a password) and something you have, a device such as a computer, iPad, cell phone, or office phone. This second step of authentication greatly enhances the security of our systems and helps in proving that it is truly you logging into one of our systems.

Each of our Barrington 220 employees has a district computer, an iPad, and/or an iPhone that will work with this multi-factor authentication system.

We do not restrict the access of Barrington 220 Gmail from personal devices. Similarly, for your convenience, we will now allow the use of a personal mobile phone for MFA authentication. This is not necessary, but may be preferred by some staff. Typical of our Google system, logins to Google, Skyward and IC are not going to be needed on a daily basis, but when they are needed, a device used for MFA will need to be nearby. Your mobile phone is likely typically near you—while your iPad and/or computer may not be as readily available. The mobile phone app that is needed for our MFA is Microsoft Authenticator, and this app is available for both Apple and Android phones.

Is there an upside with MFA? Absolutely! MFA makes access to systems such as Infinite Campus and Skyward a breeze. Are you already logged on to Google using MFA? Great, then logging in to Skyward or Infinite Campus will take one click, with no username or password input required. These logins will stay “persistent” for a period of time provided you are using the same computer web browser or computing device (e.g., iPad, iPhone).

Stay tuned for further information!