Major Changes to Outlook and What It Means for You

Information security is a rapidly-changing landscape that requires diligence to be one-step ahead of an attacker. As your trusted IT partner, Colorado Hi-Tech Solutions is constantly learning about changes and recommendations that can help keep your business safe from threats.

We recently learned that Microsoft is increasing security requirements for online email accounts such as Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365). As a result of these enhanced security measures, CHTS highly recommends using the official Outlook app to securely access Microsoft cloud accounts and avoid interruptions in your workflow.

For most used applications and tools, Basic Authentication was used to connect a user to their profiles. Basic Authentication essentially means the application requires a username and password with every request for access (often stored or saved on the device).

Simplicity is rarely a bad thing, but Basic Authentication makes it easier for attackers to capture users’ credentials, which in turn increases the risk of credential re-use against other endpoints or services. Although CHTS strongly suggests that users take advantage of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), all too often it is not used.

With these threats and risks in mind, Microsoft is taking steps to improve data security in Exchange Online.

What is Being Changed

Microsoft will now use “Modern Authentication” which includes security features such as MFA and conditional access.

How This Impacts You

If you use a mobile device to access Microsoft cloud, we highly recommend using official Microsoft applications (available in the app store) to ensure the most secure and stable experience possible.

To discuss how this change might affect your business, please contact your CHTS team or call our office at 719-264-1384 for more information.