MFA, Password Reset and Account Activation FAQs

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is a security feature, which adds a layer of protection when accessing your UL account remotely.

Recently, hackers have targeted higher education institutions by using fraudulently acquired credentials to acquire sensitive and personal information from users. Multifactor authentication is an effective control to help prevent these types of attacks.

See our MFA activation guide for instructions on how to set up Multifactor Authentication. 

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) works by requesting a second factor of authentication to verify your identity with something you know (UL username & password) in addition to something only you have (your mobile phone, on which you will receive a login confirmation notice via an app).

When you install the Authenticator app you need to allow it to access your camera so it can scan the QR code when registering for MFA.  

You will be required to use MFA to access Microsoft Services (Email, OneDrive for Business and Teams) as well as Brightspace off-campus. ITD have plans to implement MFA on all IT services provided by ITD

Once you are registered for MFA and you want to access Office 365 services (Email, OneDrive for Business and Teams), or Brightspace off-campus, you will be requested to provide a second factor of authentication for that device and for every Microsoft application you launch. This means you must verify your authentication via your mobile phone.

If you want to access Microsoft Services via the Microsoft 365 Portal using a web browser, you should select the “Don’t ask me again for xx days” option on the screen when prompted. This setting should only be enabled on UL-managed devices. ITD does not recommend using public computers such as in cafes or hotel foyers to access UL services or data including email. 

Your device will then be trusted for 60 days and you will not be requested for your second factor of authentication on that device again until that time period expires.

If you are accessing Microsoft services/ Brightspace on multiple devices, this verification process will be repeated for each device. 

Tip: We recommend using an additional device (such as a PC or laptop) when setting up Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) on your phone.

To set up Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone, please review the following options and choose the one that best suits your situation.

Option 1: If this is the first time you are setting up MFA, follow the initial set up guide – link.

Option 2: If you had MFA set up on a device you no longer have access to, please contact the Service Desk to reset your MFA:

• Staff: Please send an email to service.desk@ul.ie.
• Students: Please use the MFA Reset form.

Option 3: If you have MFA set up on a device that you still have access to, and you are looking to move to a new device:

• Log in to mysignins.microsoft.com/security-info on a PC or laptop.
• Click the “Add sign-in method” button and select “Microsoft Authenticator”.
• Download the MS Authenticator app on your new phone and click the plus icon in the top right corner to add a new account.
• Select “Work of school account” and then select the “Scan QR code” option.
• On your PC or laptop, click Next until the QR code is displayed, then scan the QR code from your phone. This will complete the setup of your new phone on the Authenticator app.

Self-Service Password Reset (SSPR) enables you to reset your UL computer account password (e.g. your UL email or Brightspace password) anywhere anytime without the need to contact the ITD Service Desk. Self-Service Password Reset can be used when you have forgotten your password, your password has expired, you wish to reset/change your current password, or you want to unlock your account.

SSPR is available 24 x 7, however, you have to register for both Multifactor Authentication (MFA) and SSPR before you can use this method to reset your password.

Emails, SMS messages, Authenticator App notifications and phone calls should arrive in under a minute. The normal case is 5 to 20 seconds. If you don't receive the notification in this time frame:

• Check your junk folder
• Check that the number or email being contacted is the one you expect
• Check notifications /popups are enabled on your phone

You can reset your password here.

If you cannot log on to https://passwordreset.microsoftonline.com to update your phone number, you can use the alternative email address that you provided during registration. If you do not have access to the account, you will need to contact the ITD Service Desk.

See the UL Password Standards policy for more information.

No. Password Reset is available off campus. 

Yes. You can reset your password from anywhere once you have internet access. You will also need access to the phone or the alternative email address you have registered.  

You will need to login to your UL provided device using your old password, connect to the SSL VPN (Forticlient) using your new password. Once connected, your new password will be synchronised to your UL provided device.

The ITD Service Desk is here to help. You can log a support request by completing an online form.

For staff – please contact the ITD Service Desk (service.desk@ul.ie)

For students – please complete our online form and a member of the ITD Service Desk will follow up.

1.  If your phone has a cover on it, make sure the cover is not obstructing the camera in anyway as the camera will be required to scan a QR code when registering. 
2.  If you are registering using your mobile data and have a limited mobile data plan, please make sure you have not reached your limit before starting the registration process.
3. Make sure you have an active internet connection either on your mobile data or over Wi-Fi before starting the registration process.
4. Make sure your phone is not in ‘Airplane mode’ before starting the registration process.
5. Make sure your phone is not in ‘Do Not Disturb’ or ‘Quiet’ mode. These modes can prevent apps from sending notifications.
6. If you have battery optimisation enabled on your phone, the approval push notification may not appear on your phone as battery optimization will stop certain apps from running to conserve the battery. If your phone battery is running low charge the phone before starting this process to avoid battery optimization interfering with this process.

The “Approve sign in request” notification provides me with a tick box option “Don’t ask again for xxx days”.

Should I select this option? When does this appear?
When accessing Microsoft Services using the web browser, this screen will be displayed on your laptop / device requesting approval.

You should tick this box if you are accessing your Microsoft Services using a web browser on a UL managed laptop / device. This will ensure that you will not be challenged for MFA again until the time period expires. If you are accessing your Microsoft Services via a web browser using a personal or public device, you should not tick this box to ensure unauthorised personnel do not access your account.

MFA is not required when accessing Microsoft Services from the university campus (wired network and Eduroam wireless network). However, if you visit another university in Ireland or elsewhere, and connect to the internet using Eduroam and want to access Microsoft Services (Email), you will be prompted to authenticate using MFA.

Please ensure that you are using the Microsoft Outlook Application. This can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store. Other mail apps may not work with MFA.

To resolve this issue, search for "shared experience settings" under the start menu.

At the top under "Accounts" you may see that some of your accounts require attention. Click the "Fix now" button.

You will be prompted to enter your UL credentials and perform Multifactor authentication. Once you have completed this task, you will no longer be required to perform MFA every time you use Internet Explorer.