Board hears multi'factor authentication proposal; hardware tokens favored for staff

Pleasant Valley School District technology staff described a proposed multi'factor authentication (MFA) policy and implementation approach during the April 22 meeting, saying a hardware token model would provide greater control and avoid requiring staff to attach authentication to personal phones.

A district technology speaker explained the proposal: on login, the system would request a six-digit code generated by a hardware token (a small device that displays a time'based number) rather than relying solely on a password. The presenter said hardware tokens make it harder for unauthorized users to access systems and could lower the district's cyber insurance costs.

Members of the public with cybersecurity backgrounds asked questions and offered to consult during the working session that followed the meeting. Board members said the policy was discussed previously in a working session and that the MFA item was presented as a new path to policy (a first read) rather than a final adoption during the business portion of the meeting.

Board members and staff also discussed account recovery, the administrative burden of issuing and replacing tokens, and the potential downside of requiring staff to install an authentication app on personal devices. The presenter said some nearby districts had used hardware tokens successfully.

No final board adoption of the MFA policy was recorded in the business meeting; staff said questions could be addressed in the immediately following working session.