I . T .
FACTOR IT IN !
Cornerstone Business Solutions MD Chris Petty , pictured , on a looming deadline that could leave you locked out of your email account ...
Microsoft is forcing us all to use MFA , with a cut-off date of October 1 this year .
What is MFA ? Multi-factor authentication ( MFA ) is a security control that adds an additional layer of security to protect your online account .
When you sign into your online accounts – a process we call “ authentication ” – you ’ re proving to the service that you are who you say you are .
Traditionally , that ’ s been done with a username and a password . Unfortunately , that ’ s not a very good way to do it .
Usernames are often easy to discover – sometimes they ’ re just your email address .
Since passwords can be hard to remember , people tend to pick simple ones or use the same password at many different sites .
That ’ s why almost all online services – banks , social media , shopping and now Microsoft 365 – have added a way for your accounts to be more secure .
You may hear it called “ Two-step verification ” or “ Multifactor authentication ” but the good ones all operate on the same principle .
When you sign into the account for the first time on a new device or app ( such as a web browser ), you need more than just the username and password . You need a second element – what we call a second “ factor ” – to prove who you are .
If you have multifactor authentication enabled , the first time you sign in on a device or app , you enter your username and password as usual . You will then be prompted to enter your second factor to verify your identity .
When using the free Microsoft Authenticator app as your second factor , you open the app on your smartphone and it shows you a unique , dynamically created six-digit number that you type into the site and you ’ re in .
Why do we need to this ? When we look at hacked accounts , more than 99.9 per cent of them don ’ t have MFA , leaving them vulnerable to password spray , phishing and password reuse .
That ’ s why Microsoft is forcing us to use this second layer of security .
In basic terms , if you don ’ t add MFA to your Microsoft account , you won ’ t be able to access your emails on October 1 , as it will ask for a second layer of security .
It ’ s not a big task and takes around 15 minutes per user to deploy , with the easiest way being to install Microsoft ’ s App onto your mobile .
We have notified all of our customers of this change and are currently going round deploying MFA . If you need assistance with this process , please get in touch and we will be more than happy to help .
CORNERSTONE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS MAP HOUSE , 3 GEORGE STEPHENSON COURT , OFF WESTLAND WAY , PRESTON FARM , STOCKTON-ON-TEES , TS18 3TG
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