Microsoft 365 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

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 yes, Microsoft 365 too - 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 off the same principle. When you sign into the account for the first time on a new device or app (like a web browser) you need more than just the username and password. You need a second thing - what we call a second "factor" - to prove who you are.

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 yes, Microsoft 365 too - 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 off the same principle. When you sign into the account for the first time on a new device or app (like a web browser) you need more than just the username and password. You need a second thing - what we call a second "factor" - to prove who you are.

Once your admin enables your organisation, and your account, for multi-factor authentication (MFA) you have to set up your user account to use it. This should only take a minute or so. And the good news is you won't need to use this second method very often!