April 1, 2024 —
The VIP Evolution project is a multi-year project, led by a project committee comprised of leaders from across the UM community, and dedicated resources from the Information Services and Technology (IST), Human Resources, and Payroll departments. The focus of this project is to leverage VIP capabilities, reduce risk, and improve the user and employee experience.
The next implementation of the project will prioritize system security. On April 3, 2024, the VIP Evolution project will enable his Entra MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) for VIP/ESS. Multi-factor authentication is an important tool for protecting sensitive university data.
Entra MFA has been successfully integrated into numerous UM systems, and its expansion to VIP/ESS has significantly contributed to enhanced data security.
What will change?
The most notable change is the login experience for all users. As with other MFA-secured university systems, you will use your email address and password to log in instead of your UMNetID. You will then receive a message asking you to verify your identity through Entra MFA.
To prepare employees for this change, the VIP Evolution project conducted several information sessions and conducted a soft launch to gather feedback. The project team found that the new authentication experience did not significantly impact the overall user experience. However, you must log in each time you access VIP/ESS.
“Validating the logout functionality is an important security feature to keep personal information safe,” explains project architect Ronnie Smetana. “Even if you are already logged into the university system in your browser, you will need to log in to VIP/ESS. You will also need to re-authenticate if you close your browser or if your VIP session times out,” he said. Smetana added.
what does that mean to you?
Prior to implementation on April 3, 2024, all staff should ensure that: Set up Entra MFA We use the Microsoft Authenticator app or a hardware token to verify your identity. For existing users, the transition is seamless. Begin using VIP/ESS when prompted.
Ensuring data is protected is a shared responsibility, and we all have a role to play in protecting the University from data breaches.
We welcome your feedback and suggestions regarding this change. Thank you for your cooperation during the transition.
Please feel free to contact us IST service desk Have any questions or concerns?
