How to change the Default Microsoft Verification Option
Part of your New Year’s Digital resolutions should be to improve your personal security. That means using a Password Manager like LastPass, changing passwords often and enabling two-factor authentication whenever possible. There are lots of two factor (or MFA) solutions out there. Pin messages to your phone, Authenticator apps like LastPass, Google or Microsoft and simple phone calls. Corporate ones like RSA SecurID and DUO are also super popular. But for the vast majority of the sites we use, simple MFA using your phone is the way to go.
Rajen Das sent over some pretty clear cut instructions on how to choose the various types of MFA methods available to Microsoft users.
Head over to:
- Click on your profile on the upper right-hand corner
- Profile –> Edit Security –> Change Default
For some instances like XBOX 360 or older versions of Office (2010 or earlier) and some older iPhone mail.app, you will have to create an APP Password since these devices don’t support MFA unfortunately.
You can learn about App Passwords here:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/12409/microsoft-account-app-passwords-and-two-step-verification
Thanks Raj and Stay Safe!