VPN and MFA: Protect Your Connection and Your Account

By Victoria Lubas | August 19, 2019

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Two Apps that Help Keep You and NYU’s Network Secure

NYU’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) provides secure, remote access to the NYU network (NYU-NET). Available at all of NYU’s locations, VPN encrypts your network traffic and enables access to NYU services that would otherwise require you to be on campus. The service now offers an added layer of security by Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Using VPN

NYU VPN is powered by Cisco AnyConnect, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store (iOS devices), Google Play (Android), or directly from the Cisco AnyConnect website. The ServiceLink knowledge base has guides for installing and using VPN on specific devices:

Using MFA with VPN

Connecting to NYU-NET remotely requires NYU community members to use MFA. It is likely you’ve already enrolled in MFA, as it is required to log into your NYU Email, NYUHome, and many other essential services. To use NYU VPN with MFA, enter your NetID in the username field and NYU-password into the password field. Then, in the second password field, enter the MFA keyword for your chosen method of authentication. For example, to authenticate using Duo, you would enter “push“.

Troubleshooting and Global Sites

  • If you are connected directly to NYU-NET via a classroom or office computer using a wired connection, you do not need to use VPN.
  • If you have trouble connecting to NYU’s VPN service, check your device’s internet connection and double-check your NetID and password.
  • If it is still not working, try uninstalling AnyConnect, restarting your computer, and reinstalling AnyConnect using the instructions on the knowledge base.
  • VPN addresses for individual global sites do not currently require MFA, but may in the near future.

View an A-Z list of NYU IT services on the NYU IT website.