Posted on November 23, 2021 by kingcountyemployees

Connecting to VPN? You’ll need to verify your identity

King County’s AnyConnect VPN software will get MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) security starting on December 1, 2021.

What does this mean for you? Each time you connect to VPN you must provide your username (username@kingcounty.gov) and password, and verify your identity on a separate device such as a cell phone or digital fob – just like when you access your Microsoft account. For employees currently enrolled in MFA, no additional action is necessary. Simply respond to the MFA security requests on your enrolled device, as described below.

If you are not enrolled in MFA, please do so immediately to maintain access to VPN. You can check to make sure you’re enrolled and set your MFA preferences at My Account (microsoft.com) on the Security Info page. For assistance, Executive branch employees should contact the KCIT Helpdesk. Employees in separately-elected agencies can contact their department IT support.

1. Preview of the new AnyConnect VPN login process: Select your department and click Connect to start VPN. Note: The current “KingCountyVPN” option will be removed shortly – please select your department. If you don’t see your department in the dropdown list, choose KingCountyVPN-KC.

2. Enter your King County username (username@kingcounty.gov) and password.

3. A notification will ask you to verify your identity on a separate device.

4. Approve the MFA challenge using your enrolled device (your cell phone or fob). Remember: Never approve an unexpected MFA challenge; it could be someone attempting to access your account.

Employees accessing VPN must select their agency from the drop-down list in their desktop client, or use an agency-specific URL to log in (see list below). If your agency is not listed here, you should use https://remote.kingcounty.gov/kc