Q: I received a Stale Request when trying to authenticate via Touchstone.

Answer

This error can be caused by browsing away from the page during the Touchstone authentication or a change in the IP address of the computer during Touchstone verification. Public hotspots and mobile connections may also cause this error to occur due to the limitations of that type of connection and the security protocols involved.

Possible solutions to this issue:

-If you are using a bookmark, make sure that it has the correct URL and doesn't show a URL like this: https://idp.mit.edu/idp/Authn/MIT?conversation=e1s1. To eliminate this case, try manually typing your destination.
-Clear cache. Restart the browser.
-Restart the device.
-If on a public hotspot or mobile network, try connecting to another network if available such as a private or home wifi.
-Connecting to the VPN will resolve this issue but should be a last resort. However, in order to install MIT’s instance of Cisco Anyconnect you must authenticate via Touchstone. If it is not already installed on the device then you may not be able to install the software. (See: MIT Remote Access VPN Services Landing Page)
We have two VPN apps:
Prisma Access VPN Landing Page - The new VPN APP.
Cisco AnyConnect VPN Landing Page - The old VPN out that is being phased out.
-On iOS, some apps use Safari as the in-app browser. If you get a stale request error inside an app, such as MIT Atlas, clearing the cache should solve the issue.