What is Multi Factor Authentication?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security system that requires more than one method of authentication from independent categories of credentials to verify the user’s identity for a login or other transaction.
In Office 365 the way MFA works is that you use your normal username & password but after you have verified that factor of authentication you are then sent a text message (SMS Message) to your mobile phone with a code to enter into the login screen.
This increases security because if someone does find out your username & password they still cannot login to your account without your mobile phone.
Setting up MFA on Office 365
You will need to be an administrator of your office 365 tenant to set this up.
MFA is a free service that you get with Office 365. At the very least you should have MFA enabled on all administrative users and if you can you should have it enabled on all Office 365 user accounts.
- Log into the Office 365 admin center
- Go to Users > Active users
- Select More at the top of the screen and then click on Setup Azure multi factor auth
- Find the users you want to enable MFA for and enable them
