The return from winter break marked a new era for Northwood’s online security with the launch of Duo, a two-factor authentication program that requires Northwood users to authenticate on their phone when they login to Microsoft products like Teams, Office, and Outlook.

Two-factor authentication is the simplest, most effective way to make sure users really are who they say they are. The program Duo was added to prevent the hacks widely reported at government, university and business  and to ensure more reliable and safer online experience for Northwood students and staff.

Duo is used in schools, companies or organizations wishing to have enhanced cybersecurity. The program ensures security by asking the owner of the device to accept access into their personal accounts every time they log in. For the Northwood community this is used whenever a student or faculty member uses their Outlook or Teams app. For example, if a student opens Outlook, Duo will redirect them to their app and ask if they are the one trying to access Outlook. Upon approval, the student can go back to their email and continue safely. The Duo app is found in the Apple App Store or on Google Play and can be linked easily with students’ Northwood accounts.

Northwood’s Technology Director Jeffrey Martin managed the launch of Duo at Northwood. “As part of our security overhaul, we upgraded our MFA platform to Duo Security. Duo is very secure, reliable and easy to use.” Martin thinks Duo is well-suited for Northwood’s needs. “It also offers a flexible approach that allows us to better support our diverse student body both on campus and remotely around the world,” Martin said. In adopting the Duo technology, “we have almost completely eliminated security breaches on our user accounts and greatly improved our ability to protect users from identity theft,” Martin said.  

Security is the main goal of adding DUO however for some students it is seen as tedious. Adding another step to entering a student’s outlook can seem annoying at first, however when consider the security it ensures it is a small price to pay.

Northwood kicked off a final week before the holiday break with a festive formal dinner followed by student performances at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. These performances were led by the Northwood Dancers and other students willing to show off their talents.

The night started out with an excellent dinner put on by the Northwood kitchen staff that incorporated many classic holiday dishes including roast ham and great desserts. This was Northwood’s third formal dinner of the year and was a great way to celebrate a return to relative normalcy after there were no such dinners held last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

After the dinner students, packed into school buses and headed over to the Lake Placid Center For the Arts where there was an array of different talents on display. Students took the leap of faith to perform individual acts in front of the crowd of students, faculty and parents. 

The highlight of the show was performances by the Northwood dance program that incorporated several different styles of dance. For many Northwood students, this was one of the first opportunity to see their classmates dance, and it was received with thunderous applause. 

“This was a great chance to see some of my classmates hidden talents. Definitely my favorite formal of the year,” Calem Tommy ’22 said.  The dinner and show sent the Northwood community off into vacation on a positive note.

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