Your Microsoft Account is the gateway to a lot of applications. So if you haven’t already, it would be very wise to set up 2-Step Verification for your Microsoft Account as soon as possible. Here's how...
We are halfway through October! All the leaves are brown and the pumpkin spiced lattes are brewing! It also happens to be Cyber Security Awareness Month. As we mentioned in our previous tech tip, we are dedicating this month’s entries to matters of security. We will be specifically honing in on one particular feature designed to protect our online accounts: 2-Step Verification.
Last time we discussed how to set up 2-Step Verification for your Google Account. It is only right that this week we should turn our attention to the other tech giant – Microsoft. Again, your Microsoft Account is the gateway to a lot of applications: Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Skype etc. So if you haven’t already, it would be very wise to set up 2-Step Verification for your Microsoft Account as soon as possible. But before we proceed any further, let’s first discuss what 2-Step Verification is.
What is 2-Step Verification?
At Appdrawn Software Development, we like to think of 2-Step Verification as a medieval castle. A castle’s defences can be improved by making the walls stronger. In the same way, your online accounts’ protection can be improved by making your passwords stronger. How do you do that? The longer and more complex your password is, the stronger it will be. Here is a tech tip detailing how to make a strong password you can remember.
Irrespective of password strength, our online accounts – much like castles with strong walls – can still come under attack. Like the invading armies of old, legions of cybercriminals and hackers are constantly finding new and more sophisticated ways of hacking passwords so they can retrieve the information inside.
However, all is not lost! In order to combat attacks, castles’ design evolved. Moats, battlements and palisade walls were added as extra defensive layers to prevent invading armies infiltrating the walls. 2-Step Verification — also known as Two-Factor Authentication — is the digital equivalent of these measures. By opting into it, you are adding extra layers of defence to your online accounts.
It’s in the name – 2-Step Verification involves two steps. The first step is inputting your username and password as normal. The second step is an additional security check, which can be executed via a variety of methods. Either which way, it is designed to ensure it is in fact you who is logging into your account. That way, if your password was to become compromised, hackers will be stopped at this second hurdle and unable to access your account.
How to set up 2-step verification on your Microsoft account with the Microsoft Authenticator app
Please note: Microsoft has its very own authenticator app. You are not obligated to use it to sign into your Microsoft account; you can choose to use another authenticator app of your choice. However, the instructions below pertain to the Microsoft Authenticator app.
In order to enable 2-step verification on your mobile device:
- Download the Microsoft Authenticator app onto your phone from the Google Play Store for Android and the App Store for iPhone.
- Open the Microsoft Authenticator app.
- Select “Allow” for “Allow Authenticator to send you notifications?”
- “Accept” the terms and conditions.
- Press “Continue.”
- Press “Skip.”
On a desktop or laptop:
- Go to https://account.microsoft.com
- Sign into your account if you are not already.
- Click “Security” from the navigation menu on the left-hand side.
- Select “Manage how I sign in” under the “Account” section.
- Click “Add a new way to sign in or verify” under “Ways to prove who you are.”
- Select “Use an app” from the list that appears.
- Click “set up a different Authenticator app.” You have already set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone so no need to get it again.
Now you need to pair your Microsoft Authenticator app with your Microsoft account. You should now be on a page entitled “Set up an authenticator app.” Below this should be a series of 4 instructions containing a QR code.
On your mobile device, in the authenticator app:
- Click the Authenticator icon on the bottom of the screen.
- Press the + sign in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
- Select the type of account you are adding from the following options:
- Personal account
- Work or school account
- Other (Google, Facebook, etc.)
- Select “Scan QR code” on the pop-up that appears.
- “Allow” the Authenticator app to access your device’s Camera.
- Aim your mobile device’s camera at your desktop/laptop screen and make sure the QR code is within the confines of the capture box.
Once the QR code has been captured, a one-time verification code will be generated by the authenticator app. Please note: these codes are only valid for 30 seconds.
- Enter the verification code into the field below “Code generated by app” on your desktop or laptop.
- Hit “Next” to verify the pairing.
Please note: It is important that you keep the Microsoft Authenticator app set up on your phone. If you delete the app and haven’t set up another authentication method – alternate email address or phone number — you may be locked out of your account. If you need to change your mobile device, make sure you set up the app on your new device before deleting it from your old one.
How to sign in to your Microsoft account using the Microsoft Authenticator app
Once you have set up 2-Step Verification, every time you login to a Microsoft application, you will need to verify it is you logging in via the authenticator app. Included in the instructions above, is a step permitting the Authenticator app to send you notifications. Here is how you can verify your sign-in attempts using the notification method.
Notification method:
- Sign in to your Microsoft account or application.
Your screen should read “Approve sign-in request” and “Open your Authenticator app and enter the number shown to sign in.” A number will be detailed below.
- Tap the Microsoft Authenticator app notification which should have been sent to you on your phone to “Approve sign-in?”
The Microsoft Authenticator app will open. A pop up should appear asking “Are you trying to sign in?” Details of the application being signed into and location of sign-in will be displayed. If those details are all correct:
- Enter the number detailed in your sign-in window into the field provided.
- Click “Yes” to confirm.
If you DID NOT attempt to sign-in to your Microsoft account or application or the information detailed is incorrect:
- Tap “No, it’s not me” to block the sign-in attempt.
You should now be signed into your Microsoft account or application.