Okta to Increase Security for UMICH Account Holders

Beginning February 25, the University of Michigan will transition to Okta, an industry-leading platform for managing digital identities and access, for sign-in and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Adopting Okta for sign-in and MFA is one part of a broader, strategic effort to modernize U-M’s identity and access management (IAM) environment and strengthen digital security across the university. The new platform comes with an impressive set of integrated capabilities and will serve as an excellent foundation for the modernization efforts.

Okta’s unified identity and access management platform allows ITS to apply security protections more consistently and intelligently across the full range of systems at U-M, strengthening our ability to safeguard user data and protect against evolving threats. Along with improved security, the transition to Okta improves the sign-in experience by offering more flexible options, including optional biometric authentication with Okta FastPass for a passwordless sign-in experience. As is true with other programs that utilize your device’s biometric features (Apple’s Face ID, for example), biometric information remains securely stored on your device and is not collected or stored by U-M or Okta. By adopting Okta, ITS is introducing new sign-in capabilities now while building a modern identity and access management foundation to support the university’s future needs.

“Okta is truly an industry-best platform. We believe our community will greatly appreciate the modern features this partnership brings, such as passwordless sign-in with Okta FastPass, which will make accessing university resources both easier and more secure.” - Robert Jones, Assistant Vice President of Emerging Technology and Support Services

Overall, the response to Okta has been overwhelmingly positive. Enrollment in Okta began on January 14, and more than 105,000 faculty, staff, and students have already enrolled, with thousands more joining each day. Early feedback indicates that the enrollment process is quick and straightforward, and ITS teams are actively supporting anyone who may need assistance during the transition.

UMICH account holders are encouraged to enroll their accounts ahead of the transition on February 25 by following a step-by-step enrollment process provided by Information and Technology Services.