A message to employees regarding a change to the Cardinal login process

From: Human Resources

The morning of Oct. 30, 2025, some employees received a message from Cardinal, which manages health insurance benefits information for all Commonwealth of Virginia entities, including Virginia Tech. The subject line was ‘Immediate Action Required: Replace SMS (text)/Call MFA for Cardinal Login.’

This email was legitimate, but it was missing some context that may be helpful. While the change goes into effect on Nov. 30, rest assured that you will be able to complete the installation of Okta (the commonwealth’s multi-factor authentication tool) after that date. You will need to set it up the next time you access your Cardinal account, so it is recommended that you complete the steps to install and set up Okta as soon as possible.  

Regarding the upcoming change to Cardinal’s login process

Cardinal, the system used by the Commonwealth of Virginia to maintain enterprise data, is updating its login process. For Virginia Tech employees, the benefits administered within Cardinal include health insurance and flexible spending accounts. The Cardinal system is maintained by the Virginia IT Agency (VITA), which uses Okta for secure access to Cardinal. The updated login process will replace the SMS (text message) and phone call options that were previously in place for multifactor authentication (MFA).

Impact/actions for Cardinal users

The new MFA solution is Okta Verify Mobile Application. Okta Verify is a mobile app that sends a push notification to approve your login. It can be installed on both personal and work cell phones.

VITA recommends that all employees use the Okta Verify step-by-step instructions to set up the multifactor authentication application by Nov. 30, 2025. Since Virginia Tech is a “Non-COV agency,” please use the instructions outlined for Non-COV agencies.

To begin this process, you will need to ensure you have the following:

• Cardinal email and password
• Smartphone
• Computer

Questions related to this login change should be directed to VITA (vccc@vita.virginia.gov). For other questions or concerns, please email the HR Service Center or healthinsurance@vt.edu.