Responding to the increased risk of cybersecurity attacks, Smith College has announced the implementation of Smithyphus, a 10-factor authentication system for faculty, students and staff.
“This is about safeguarding personal information,” wrote Smith College Information Security Director Elena Nigma, announcing the new system in a letter to campus this morning.
“For years, rogue nations and nefarious actors have been trying to access our dining menus, Moodle postings and Lazarus Center job listings. While two-factor authentication has prevented all of these attacks so far, it is in Smith’s best interest to be at the leading edge of security, no matter the cost. We looked at three-, four- and even 9-factor authentication services, but as a college that refuses to settle, we needed 10."
Smithyphus, a security platform developed at Smith and traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol Y.US, has garnered national awards for its unprecedented ability to protect sensitive information from both unauthorized and authorized users. “You can’t lose what you can’t access,” wrote Smithyphus programmer Qwan Dree in a prepared statement from her personal GMail account.
In the letter to campus, Nigma outlined the ten steps students, faculty and staff will need to log in using Smithyphus:
-
Their Smith College password
-
A 6 digit code sent to their cell phone
-
The name of their childhood pet
-
A 6 digit code sent to their childhood pet
-
Their favorite food’s maiden name
-
A three-word phrase whispered on the evening breeze
-
A key, but metaphorically
-
A key, but metaphysically
-
Eleven different fingerprints
- A 6 digit code sent to their email
The letter, which was emailed to students shortly after the software was implemented, has yet to have been read.
