Duo Security adds a second layer of security to your online Calvin accounts.

Duo is required for all students, staff, faculty members, and sponsored account holders. New students – you’ll need Duo installed at least two days before classes begin. We highly recommend enrolling at least two devices in case your primary device is lost, forgotten, or not functioning.

If you need assistance enrolling in Duo, or have issues authenticating to Calvin services after enrolling, please contact the Help Desk (located in the basement of Hekman Library) during our regular business hours.

Enroll in Duo

How to guide

Manage Duo
Tutorials

Easy enrollment with your cell phone

Duo Enrollment (1:47)

 

How to use Duo

Authenticate with Duo Push on Android - Duo Security (0:20)

 

Get Started: Understanding Duo

Passwords are becoming increasingly easy to compromise. They can often be stolen, guessed, and hacked—you might not even know who else has your password and is accessing your account. Duo two-factor authentication adds a second layer of security to your account to make sure that it stays safe by using your phone or other device to verify your identity.

How it works:

  1. Enter your Calvin username and password as usual
  2. Use your phone to verify your identity
  3. Securely logged in

Calvin strongly recommends that you use the Duo Mobile app to receive push notifications or offline passcodes on your phone or tablet. While you may still use the text messaging or voice option, each text or phone call is an expense to the University. The Duo Mobile app is currently the best way to safeguard your information and identity.

If you do not have a cell phone or the mobile OS is too old on your cell phone to use Duo Mobile, hardware tokens are available at the HelpDesk for a fee.

Calvin IT strongly recommends that you use the Outlook app on your computer and devices for the best user experience. You can also access mail through https://owa.calvin.edu. If email has stopped working, it is likely you are using a non-Outlook mail reader such as Mac Mail or Android Email. You will likely need to re-setup your Calvin mail in the app as long as it supports modern authentication. Android Mail does not support modern authentication at this time so you will need to install the Outlook app. Follow the advice in this Knowledge Base Article.

No. Duo is required for all Calvin faculty, staff, and students.

Because Duo has so many ways to authenticate your identity, it is expected that Duo Security will be able to accommodate every user. If you have questions about Duo's accessibility, please contact the HelpDesk.

Duo is associated with your account and not with your status at Calvin University. If you still have access to your Calvin account you are still required to be enrolled in Duo.

Retirees who have Calvin compensation, benefits, access to student data, and/or are otherwise an active member of the Calvin community (such as faculty emeritus) are required to enroll in Duo to be able to access those services online.

No. Calvin verifies your password with its own systems and never sends it to Duo. Duo provides only the second factor—the “something you have.”

Set up Duo

Duo's self-enrollment process makes it easy to register your phone or tablet and install the application on your device. The Duo Mobile App currently works on both Apple and Android devices. To begin the enrollment process, please visit duo.calvin.edu.

While you may still use the text messaging option, note that, in 2017, security experts at Positive Technologies proved that text and SMS messages can be intercepted by hackers. This means that authentication methods that rely on SMS and text messaging aren’t entirely safe. While installing another app is not always a popular choice, Duo Mobile is currently the best way to safeguard your information and identity. Calvin is also charged a small fee for every Duo text or voice message sent so we highly recommend you use the mobile apps push notifications whenever possible.

We recommend that users who have a smartphone choose to use it, since smartphones are the easiest way to use Duo and the most cost-effective for Calvin. However, you can also use a cell phone, a landline (such as your office or home phone), a tablet, or a hardware token (key fob). Duo also lets you link multiple devices to your account, so you can use your mobile phone, a landline and/or tablet. Hardware tokens (key fobs) are available for a fee and can be purchased at the HelpDesk.

Contact the HelpDesk via email or call 616-526-8555 immediately if you lose your phone or suspect that it has been stolen. The device will be disabled for authentication and you will be assisted in enrolling another phone or device. While it is important that you contact the HelpDesk if you lose your phone, remember that your password will still protect your account.

We encourage users to set up multiple authentication methods with Duo, so that when one method is unavailable, you have a backup option such as a tablet or another phone number. You may setup additional authentication methods at https://duo.calvin.edu. Finally, if you have no backup authentication methods, you may stop by the HelpDesk or a temporary bypass code.

Not if you use the mobile app! Standard data rates through your mobile provider apply when using text, but Duo is very efficient and uses nominal amounts of data. Where available, CIT recommends that you use trusted wifi networks to connect your mobile device. Voice calls and text messages from Duo are billed to Calvin so keeping calls and texts to a minimum is appreciated. Calvin recommends that you use the mobile app as it is the quickest and most convenient option and does not incur any additional cost to Calvin.

If you get a new phone you will need to re-activate Duo Mobile. Please see the instructions to enroll another device in the Duo Enrollment Guide. This is when having a backup device is helpful, or if you kept the same phone number you can have a SMS text sent to your new device to re-enroll.

The HelpDesk manages the distribution of hardware tokens (key fobs). Very few people will need a hardware token, but there are some people who do not have a cell phone and will need another method to authenticate. Please stop by the HelpDesk in the basement of Hekman Library to purchase your hardware token.

Troubleshoot: Help with Duo

You will have many chances to authenticate a request. After you have exceeded the number of chances, your two-factor authentication will be deactivated, and you will not be able to access the system you are attempting to log into. Contact the HelpDesk for further assistance.

Deny the request and report the incident to the HelpDesk immediately via email or by calling 616-526-8555. You are also able to mark the attempt as fraudulent within the Duo Mobile app. CIT will receive notification when you do and be in contact with you about the situation. CIT also strongly recommends you change your passphrase should this situation occur. 

Your account will lock when there are too many failed attempts to authenticate. The lock out time is set to 5 minutes and then your account will reset back to active status for you to log in. If you need assistance or wish to have your account immediately unlocked, please contact the HelpDesk at 616-526-8555.

Make sure that your web browser is not in private or incognito mode (cookies must be enabled and allowed for this feature to work). Please note that this feature only works for the specific computer AND web browser you are currently using. If you change web browsers or computers you will have to select the option again.

Yes. If your current cell plan has international calling available, Duo will continue to work as normal. If it does not, you may connect to any wireless network or use the Duo Mobile passcode option to continue to authenticate while traveling abroad.

If you are going to purchase a phone or international SIM card, please follow the instructions in our Knowledge Base article to setup the new device.

Duo on my phone

You may have trouble receiving push notifications if there are network issues between your phone and our service. Turning the phone to airplane mode and then back to normal operating mode often resolves these sorts of issues, if there is a reliable internet connection available. You can also turn off the wifi connection on your device and use the cellular data connection instead.

Check the time and date on your phone and make sure they are correct. If the date and time on your phone are not correct, Duo will deny any authentication requests.

Yes, however the "Call Me" feature is limited to most phones with US and Canada area codes. Duo push notifications and passcodes on smartphones will still work as normal, even if that phone has an international number and enrolled in Duo.

Yes. Any device capable of receiving a phone call can be registered as a “Phone” when enrolling.

Even if you have no access to wifi or cellular service, you can still use the Duo Mobile app. By clicking on Calvin University in the Duo Mobile app you will see a unique, rotating 6-digit code that you can supply during authentication.

CIT strongly recommends that you enroll two devices with Duo in case something happens where your primary device is unavailable. If none of your devices are available, please stop by the HelpDesk to receive a temporary bypass code. Codes can only be handed out in-person.