NEWS
January 25, 2017
COURTESY OF FLICKR
Fordham IT steps up log-in security which now requires users to sign in on a separate device when when prompted.
Fordham IT Increases Log-In Security By ROBERT PALAZZOLO STAFF WRITER
Cybersecurity — or, the lack thereof — is all over the headlines these days, prompting governments, businesses, universities and even individuals to bolster their electronic defenses. Fordham is no exception. Starting this semester, Fordham IT will introduce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to all active university-affiliated online accounts. For students, this means that a username and password
will not be enough. Soon, there will be a third action to complete in order to login to the Fordham network. “[Cyber] Attackers get more sophisticated every day,” said Elizabeth Cornell, PhD. director of IT Communications. “Experts agree this is one of the best ways to prevent any kind of malicious attack.” The system will work like this: first, type in a username and password, as usual. Right afterwards, students use their phones to confirm their identities and complete
the login. There are a few different ways to complete the last step of confirming the student’s identity on a phone. One is via the Duo Mobile MFA app (which is available for Apple, Android and Windows phones). After the student enters the username and password, the app will immediately send a push notification with options to either approve or deny the login. Once the student taps “approve,” the login is successful. Through the same app, users can also receive a one-time,
Page 3 unique password to confirm their identity and login. Duo can also text users the one-time passcode or send an automated call, if preferred. That identity confirmation will be remembered for thirty days — meaning if users use the same device and browser, they will only need their username and password to login for the next thirty days. And when checking email on a mobile device, users will only be prompted to use the MFA system when setting up access to email on that device or changing a password. Therefore, students will not need to authenticate every time they check their Fordham email on their phones. Duo Security, Inc. will be the provider of Fordham’s new MFA system. Their website lists Facebook, NASA, Toyota, Twitter and others as clients. A Fordham IT blog post also lists Columbia, Harvard, MIT and NYU as universities which utilize Duo’s MFA system. Cornell said that MFA technology is common, and fast becoming a vital defense. “People should be questioning any institution that isn’t providing this extra layer of security,” Cornell said. “It’s just so important — and you have it at your bank, you have it in your credit cards,” she added. According to NBC News, 550 universities reported some kind of data breach between 2006 to 2013. A significant cyberattack on Penn State’s systems in 2015 resulted in the compromise of many student usernames and passwords. In 2014, the University of Maryland and North Dakota University suffered similar breaches. Cornell said that de-
spite the added inconvenience of MFA, the growing threat that these other attacks demonstrate means that Fordham IT has had to be proactive. “It’s a very, very real threat, and we take it very seriously,” she said. Student reactions to the added security measures ranged from somewhat positive to more skeptical. “I think it’s a good thing,” said Frank Sikorski, FCRH ’17. “Seems to be a mild inconvenience, but more cybersecurity is better.” “I wonder why it’s necessary,” said Margaret Sullivan, FCRH ’17. “But I don’t think it would be too bothersome,” adding that the existing WiFi compliance security check means that she is already used to following IT-mandated security procedures once a month. So far, the amount of student feedback reaching Fordham IT has been relatively small. But that is likely to change when IT begins their education campaign to try and get students ready for the new system. The only marker of coming change has been a small box on the my.Fordham login page that alerts students that the MFA system is coming. But Cornell says IT will be sending a barrage of informational emails to students, as well as hosting a series of informational sessions in each residence hall. To ensure students are aware of the change in plenty of time, Cornell said they are holding out on setting a hard deadline for the switch until they feel confident students are going to be ready. “We want it to be as smooth as possible, for everyone,” Cornell said.
Jewish Studies Grows Opportunities In New York FROM STUDIES, PAGE 1
currently fostering a relationship with Yeshiva University, as well as starting internship programs for students with New York institutions such as the Museum for Jewish Heritage. Karina Martin Hogan, professor of biblical studies and Ancient Judaism, believes the new program will develop Fordham’s undergraduate research capabilities. “Although the Jewish Studies program at Fordham is very new, I expect that it will contribute to the culture of undergraduate research that is developing here,” said Hogan. However, in all the plans for the growth of the program, there are no plans for a major. Teter said only allowing a minor allows students to pursue interest outside of their career path and also opens up the study to all schools. “One of the ways students choose majors is when they look at careers, whereas minors give them substance and follow interests. Also, a minor makes it accessible to all schools. For example, Gabelli students cannot have a double major, but they can have a minor,” said Teter. The research and dialogue component of the minor put more focus on creating an environment that produces well-rounded students rather than training for specific career tracks within Jewish studies, according to Teter. Middle eastern Studies major Mustafa Kilicarslan, FCRH ’19, said his studies gave him a greater
comprehension of the world’s religions. “I was always curious about Jews and Christians because Qu’ran accepts them. Taking those classes enriched my vision about life,” said Kilicarslan. “I have tried to understand for the first time, in a scientific and objective manner, a different religion and many cultures related to this religion.” Michelle Chen, FCLC ‘17, a history major minoring in middle eastern studies and Mandarin said classes within the Jewish Studies program benefited her. “Having taken these courses, I feel that I can better understand the Middle East conflict as I have pieces of both sides of the story,” said Chen. “As of now, my goal is to attend law school in fall 2018, and I feel like the skills that I’ve gotten out of Jewish studies, especially analyzing primary sources, will greatly help me tackle those difficult law school textbooks.” The program even reaches as far as those difficult textbooks, as Fordham Law School offers a course in Jewish Law each semester. Fordham Law School allowed undergraduates to enroll in the Jewish Law course for the first time last year. This opportunity allows students to establish relationships within the law school through this challenging and specialized course according to Teter. “We are forging these kind of ties between different schools, not just with the colleges on campus,” said Teter on the law school relation-
ship. Future events co-sponsored by the law school and the Jewish Studies Program include the annual Jewish lecture with the Shvidler Chair and efforts to emulate the Natural Law Colloquium in developing a community of interested scholars. “For the law school, the great contribution of the Jewish Studies Program is that it provides us with a way to draw upon the extraordinary resources of Prof. Teter and other faculty outside the law school and to join in building a community at the University of faculty with an interest in Jewish
studies,” said Law Professor Russell Pearce. The program also functions as a dialogue of faiths within Fordham, exposing students to traditions separate from its Jesuit Catholic identity. “Obviously as a Jesuit institution many aspects of Fordham are going to be bent towards Christian culture, but sometimes it seems to the point where class subjects or even professors themselves barely acknowledge that there are other faiths, except when they want to throw in the ‘but we’re very accepting and diverse’ card,” said Angela He, FCRH ’19.
“Courses such as these offered by the department offer a remedy to ignorance and a broadening of perspectives, which as a student on the prelaw track with an interest in social justice and politics is very important to me.” Reaching further than the Fordham community, the program sponsors and co-sponsors In Dialogue events, which brings scholars in different areas together to give different perspectives within lectures on similar topics. For many of these events, the opportunity to attend is open to the public.
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Jewish Studies plans to introduce modern Hebrew to the Jewish Studies program, amongst other endeavors.