Now that you have a good idea of MFAs, let’s see the setup process for Office 365 users. Use the default Microsoft welcome greetings for authenticating phone calls.Enforce application passwords for nonbrowser clients like Outlook.Allow verification through an SMS message.Allow phone calls as a second authentication factor.Allow a one-time password to mobile phones or apps as a second authentication method.Enable and enforce MFA for selected users.Here are some things you can do with Office 365’s MFA. In general, MFA for Office 365 is a subset of Windows Azure MFA, but it comes at no additional cost and you can manage it right from Office 365 portal.

Here is a table that details all the different resources you can secure and the versions you need for the same.

MFA for Windows Azure users - you can set up MFA for all Microsoft online resources, SaaS resources, VPN, and LOB apps.

MFA for Windows Azure administrators - you can secure Windows Azure resources for admin users.

MFA for Office 365 - you can set up MFA for licensed Office 365 users.

You can secure the following resources with MFA. This way, even if an attacker hacks your password, it’s useless without other information. Such a detailed authentication method offers much better security than mere passwords.

Something you are, like biometrics and fingerprints.

Something you have, like a trusted device.

You’re allowed to access the site/app only after you clear this second authentication as well.īroadly speaking, MFA authenticates with: As a user, you’ll have to acknowledge a phone call, text message, app notification, or just about anything else, other than just the username and password, to prove your credentials. What is multifactor authentication?Īs the name suggests, it uses multiple methods to identify if you’re really who you claim to be. This is why multifactor authentication, or MFA, has taken center-stage. In fact, history shows that a mere password-based security is no longer effective. These hacking incidents have put the spotlight right back on security and the need to go beyond just usernames and passwords. Effectively, all that hackers have done is to identify these unsecured areas rather than breaking into secure networks. If you look closely at these incidents, much of it is due to password negligence and poor security practices. How many hacking incidents have you heard about in the last five years? At least a hundred, if not more.

Set up office 365 email on outlook mfa