Okta - Frequently Asked Questions

Getting a new phone or new phone number may affect you as you may have trouble verifying the sign-in attempt without your device. 

If you have multiple verification methods configured, enter your credentials as normal to sign in but select a different factor using the dropdown. After you are successfully logged in, click your name in the upper-right corner then click Settings. Find the Extra Verification section. Click Remove next to the factor that is no longer accessible to you. Click Yes when prompted. Click Set Up and follow the steps to configure multi-factor authentication.

If you only had one verification method configured and are now unable to log in, please call the Service Desk at 253-879-8585. They can assist you with resetting your factors so you can log in and reconfigure multi-factor authentication with your new phone or new phone number. 

If you have Okta Verify set up as your factor, you can use the 6-digit code generated in the app to verify your login even if your phone is not connected to the internet or cellular data. Instead of clicking Send Push and responding to the prompt on your phone, click Or enter code when you are prompted for verification after logging in. In the Okta Verify app on your cell phone, note the 6-digit code for your account and type in that code on the login page. Click Verify to finish. 

The process to log in using Google Authenticator will not change. If you use SMS or Voice Call authentication and are unable to receive text messages or calls, you should select an alternate factor to log in. 

If you are traveling internationally and need access to Puget Sound resources, we highly recommend setting up Okta Verify or Google Authenticator as a verification method before you depart. 

See our step-by-step instructions for password self-help.

From the Okta Dashboard, click your name in the upper-right corner then click Settings. Find the Extra Verification section. Click Set Up next to each factor of your choice. It is helpful to have more than one verification method configured in case your primary method becomes unavailable (e.g. lost phone, new number). 

From the Okta Dashboard, click your name in the upper-right corner then click Settings. In the Personal Information section, click Edit. Note: if you have been signed in for more than 15 minutes, you may need to click the green Edit Profile button first. Type in the personal email address you would like to use instead then click Save. You will receive an email confirmation and will need to verify the email address before you can use it for password recovery. 

If you already have your own existing hardware token or physical security key, you can use it as your second factor as long as it is FIDO2 compatible. However, you will need to contact the Service Desk before this option will be available to you as it is not a standard option and will have only limited, “best effort” support. Technology Services will not be providing hardware tokens.  

While Technology Services does not recommend any specific FIDO2 key, nor can TS guarantee that any FIDO2 key that you purchase will work, the Yubico YubiKey 5 and Security Key series or FEITIAN ePass series are considered industry standard keys.

To access Puget Sound systems, simply click on the tile. For application specific settings, click the three dots in the upper-right corner of the app tile. You can drag the tiles around to re-arrange your dashboard as well as create sections to organize your apps. 

To manage your account, click your name in the upper-right corner and click Settings. From there, you can change your password, set up or modify your security question, set up or modify your secondary email address, set up or modify a cell phone number, and add or remove verification methods. 

For more information, see Okta's documentation on the dashboard. 

The Okta browser plugin allows you to quickly navigate to Puget Sound systems without first going to your application dashboard at login.pugetsound.edu. If you have the plugin installed in your browser, simply click the  icon in your browser toolbar then click on the system you would like to access.

Certain applications may require the Okta browser plugin. You will be prompted to install the plugin when you try to launch the app. Simply click the Install button. 

For more information on how to install the Okta browser plugin, please see Okta's support article on installing the plugin. 

You can expect to receive notifications from oktanoreply@pugetsound.edu to your primary and secondary (if configured) email addresses when any of the following actions have occurred on your account:

• Password Change
• Login on a new device, new browser, or incognito/private window
• New factor setup or factor reset
• Change to secondary email address

These automated notifications are for your account security so you are aware when any important changes to your account occur. If you recognize the activity, no action is required. If you do not recognize the activity, please contact the Service Desk immediately as it may indicate unauthorized access to your account. 

Generally speaking, you will be prompted for multi-factor authentication once per day. When you log in for the first time in a day, you can check the box next to "Do not challenge me on this device for the next 12 hours." We recommend that you only do that on a device you own. 

If you log in on a new device or in a new browser, you will need to go through the two-step login process again as your login session is specific to the browser you are in. We recommend checking your default browser settings to make sure the browser you normally use matches the default on your system. 

As phishing, ransomware, and data breaches continue occurring in our digital landscape, simply requiring a username/password for login may not be enough to protect your account from malicious attackers. If your credentials become exposed and an unknown party tries to use it to access Puget Sound systems, it will be significantly more challenging for them to take over your account or gain access to your sensitive data if a two-step login process is in place.

Applications in the "Requires Additional Login" section are not directly integrated with Okta. You will need to log in with your Puget Sound credentials each time you access the app.

Some applications, such as Wells Fargo CEO, work in conjunction with the Okta Browser Plugin to log you in with different credentials. When you first launch the app, you will be prompted to Sign In To App and enter the credentials you use for that specific system. After clicking Sign In, the app will launch in a new browser tab and securely post the stored credentials over SSL. Each subsequent time you access the app, you will not need to enter your username/password to log in to the system. 

If the password you use for the specific system changes, you will need to update the stored credentials. Simply click the three dots (∙∙∙) in the app tile on your dashboard, click Edit, enter the new information, then click Save. Credentials are securely stored with AES encryption coupled with a private key to ensure that nobody, even administrators, can see your password in plain text. 

Contact the Service Desk for assistance.  Technology Services may need to assign you access or work with the application owner to create an account within the system for you.

If you receive an error message like 403 App Not Assigned, you can check the Add Apps section on the left within the Okta dashboard to see whether the system you are trying to access is available to add via self-service. 

If you receive an error message similar to Account Not Found, it is likely that your account within the specific system does not exist yet even though you see the tile available in your Okta dashboard. Sometimes, waiting 24 hours for automated processes to create your account may resolve these errors. If you still receive the error after 24 hours, your account likely needs to be manually created by the application owner. 

At this time, only US and Canada numbers can be used for setting up SMS text message or voice call authentication. If you do not have a US or Canada phone number, we recommend using Okta Verify or Google Authenticator as your second factor. 

In general, you can use Okta with the most recent version of browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari. For the Okta Verify and Okta Mobile apps, iOS versions released within the last two years and Android versions released within the last five years are supported. For complete details, please see Okta's documentation on supported platforms, browsers, and operating systems. 

If you are the manager for a system utilized on campus, please fill out this form or contact the Service Desk. 

If you use the application, please contact the department who manages the system as they will need to coordinate with Technology Services.