Multi-factor authentication is coming
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 130 No 4, 20 June 2025, page no 12.
Last year, the Department of Education notified the QTU of its work towards multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect the department’s online network and keep individual users, like teachers and students, safe.
MFA is an online security measure designed to help protect your digital identity, which requires two or more proofs of identity to grant you access to a platform or device. Most members will already be familiar with MFA, using it for private email accounts and social media, to manage bills, banking and superannuation funds, to access subscription TV and other accounts, and for various other business outside of work.
MFA typically requires a combination of something the user knows (e.g. a PIN or a secret question), something you have (a card, token), or something you are (fingerprint or other biometric).
The department’s approach to MFA is consistent with the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs advice Act Now. Stay Secure, and recommendations that businesses as well as individuals should implement MFA wherever possible.
MFA is not new to the department, but its roll-out inside the school gate is. To that end, the department’s consultation with the QTU has been commendable.
IT Branch has heard QTU concerns about workload and portability of devices like teacher laptops. Notably, many issues that were raised by the QTU had already been considered by the branch, and officers of the department provided a satisfactory response.
The department has also heard QTU calls to make its network more accessible and to allow teachers and school leaders to access it outside of the school gate, for example at a meeting venue that is not a school or when working at home. The QTU understands that the new MFA processes being trialled will allow this to happen.
That said, the right to disconnect remains a working condition. The QTU view is that changes should enable work to occur in flexible locations but not require work to occur outside of rostered duty time.
The QTU understands that MFA had been tested in central office before being rolled out to pilot schools during this term and the next. Following concerns raised by QTU members in specific workplaces, the department’s IT Branch is working directly with those members to develop an MFA implementation that is fit for purpose.
The QTU anticipates a briefing on lessons learned during the pilot, specifically problems that were identified and the resulting solutions. At that time, the QTU will update members via Newsflashes or other member updates, and we expect that the department will also communicate to employees via Connect Ed.