Microsoft is enabling a stronger form of multifactor authentication beginning September 15, 2023
Whom is this aimed at?
This will be aimed at companies with Microsoft Entra ID tenants.
Why is Microsoft doing this?
This is an urgent initiative to drive Azure AD users to transition from SMS/Voice-based Multi-factor Authentication to Microsoft Authenticator app-based MFA.
These telephony-based methods of MFA can be circumvented through SIM-swapping and other techniques bad actors use. The frequency of breaches led by the fallibility of SMS/Voice MFA has been increasing worldwide, and it is considered a trending threat to identities such as those in Azure AD tenants.
What will happen?
From September 15, 2023, users who authenticate using SMS and voice methods will be advised to set up the Microsoft Authenticator app when they sign into their work or school account. This change will occur on a rolling basis over six weeks as part of Microsoft’s ongoing efforts to improve security.
This change will affect Microsoft Entra ID (previously Azure Active Directory) tenants with the registration campaign feature set to the Microsoft managed state. After they have enabled this feature, users will be prompted to install the Microsoft Authenticator app, a stronger form of multifactor authentication than SMS and voice methods.
Recommended action
After enabling the registration campaign feature, everyone in your organisation using SMS or voice authentication must set up Microsoft Authenticator.
To avoid any confusion:
• When you sign into their work or school account, you will see a prompt to set up the Authenticator app; you can choose to install it or skip the prompt. You can skip up to three times before they’re required to install it.
• To install it, you’ll need to select Next on the prompt, which will take them through the Authenticator app setup. •
Help and support
If you have questions or if you need help, please drop us a line at
hello@abcom.co.uk
or call us on 01444 871200
Here are some compelling reasons you might need to switch providers right now:
More information on MFA here
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/authentication/concept-mfa-howitworks