IT Services

Federated Login for HKAF

‘Federated Login for HKAF’ service allows staff and students of member institutions of Hong Kong Access Federation (HKAF) to use their institutional credentials to seamlessly access a wide range of services and resources provided by education institutions all over the world in a controlled and trusted setup. PolyU is a member of the HKAF which enables our staff and students to use their NetID and NetPassword as an authentication to access services and resources from other joined institutions in Hong Kong and around the world for teaching, learning and research activities via HKAF. With this service, faculties and departments can extend the use of their applications /services to staff and students of other institutions easily and without extra efforts on managing enormous accounts. Currently, some service provider (SP) applications have been successfully integrated into HKAF and are available for use. Click here for more details. The Service is deployed in accordance with HKAF’s policy and encompassing rules and guidelines, which have been laid down by HKAF, for accessing services of Service Providers connected to HKAF. For details, please refer to HKAF website (http://www.hkaf.edu.hk). Interested faculties or departments are welcome to contact IT HelpCentre for assistance.

Mobile Application Management (MAM) Service

Staff members utilize their personal mobile devices such as Android or iPhone to manage day-to-day business operations. It's important to note that some of the data handled on these devices may include sensitive information belonging to the University. The Mobile Application Management (MAM) service offers an additional level of safeguarding for the University's data stored on staff members' personal mobile devices, while ensuring that it does not impact their personal information. Remote data wipe can be executed upon staff’s request.  Only the data within the managed apps will be wiped from the device. Sending organization data is limited within managed apps. Data stored on phone’s memory is encrypted.

Multi-Factor Authentication Service

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides extra security before logging into an online service. When accessing an MFA-protected service, staff will be prompted to enter NetID and NetPassword as the first authentication and as a second step, reconfirm staff’s identity by using a verification device, like a phone or a tablet. To facilitate this verification process, users are required to install a mobile app called “Microsoft Authenticator” to personal smart phone or tablet.   Two secondary identity verification methods are available for users: Push Notification With the Microsoft Authenticator installed to the mobile device, a Pop-up Notification will be received when user log into an MFS-protected service. User can simply hit “Approve” to log in. (Note: Beginning from March 2023, you will be prompted to enter a 'matching number' to your Microsoft Authenticator mobile app to approve log in. This number is displayed on the login screen of the application which you are trying to access.) It is recommended to use Push Notification while having a stable internet connection because it is the most convenient option. Passcode In situations where users have poor cell phone reception or internet connection, users should select “Passcode” as the second identity verification method. This method has added benefit of being completely free since it does not use user’s cellular data package.   Users are recommended to check out the user guides on setting up MFA service and configure which verification method to use.

NetID Management Service

The PolyU NetID (Network Identity) is a key to University’s IT facilities and services. It is a unique personal identifier made up of a single username and password pair, named as NetID and NetPassword respectively. With the NetID, users can access the University’s online facilities including University Portal, eLearning Platform, Wi-Fi and other network facilities and services, etc. Please note that the privilege to use these IT facilities and services carries with certain responsibilities and obligations, which are set forth in the PolyU Acceptable Use Policy for University Information Technology Facilities and Services (AUP) and the Baseline Information Security Policy.   Updating Personal (External) Email Address In addition to PolyU Connect ("@connect.polyu.hk") or Staff ("@polyu.edu.hk") email address, a personal email address is used as an alternative means used by the University to communicate with user (e.g. when user reset NetPassword). Users are recommended to regularly review and update personal email address in NetID profile. Users are highly recommended to secure the external email account by regular change of password and consider the use of strong authentication in accessing the email account (as recommended by the service provider).

Physical Access Control Infrastructure Service

This service provides a shared facilities access control platform i.e. Common Access Management System (CAMS) for departmental administrators to manage the physical access control of the facilities and office areas under their purview. With the facilities access control platform, departmental administrators can have flexible control over who and when is allowed to enter a location at a higher security level. This platform also allows the Campus Facilities & Sustainability Office to oversee physical security of the campus areas.

PolyU Single-Sign-On (PolyU-SSO)

A number of web and mobile applications managed by different departments across the University and each of them may require different IDs and passwords for performing specific job functions. With PolyU Single-Sign-On (PolyU-SSO), users can simply access multiple applications and systems by using their NetID and NetPassword. After successful authentication with PolyU-SSO, user attributes (e.g. Name, Email, Department, etc.) can be automatically passed to applications to fulfil business requirements. This service improves users’ satisfaction and enhance productivity. For department application owners, PolyU-SSO currently supports the following protocols for integration: Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) (https://www.oasis-open.org/standard/saml/) OpenID Connect (http://openid.net/connect/) Rapid Connect (JWT-based)