You may use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security with your Microsoft accounts. But that extra security may be the reason you're locked out.On Monday, Microsoft customers who use MFA were locked out of their Microsoft Azure and Office 365 accounts. Microsoft has confirmed the problem on its Azure and Office 365 status pages and is currently working on the issue.Office 365 is Microsoft's subscription to its Office products (like Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint) that provides the latest version of its software, exchange email and cloud storage. Meanwhile, Azure is the company's cloud computing service. Both are used in business, so this outage may be affecting people's work today.Two-factor and multi-factor authentication involves using an extra step (like a phone number or verification code) in addition to your login credentials. This makes it harder for people to log into your account if they have your username and password. It's a useful trick, … [Read more...] about Microsoft Office 365, Azure lock out some people who use multi-factor authentication
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Office 365 and LinkedIn integration – a goldmine for fraudsters?
Collaboration tools such as Office 365, SharePoint and G-Suite are often a business’ best friend, allowing colleagues to quickly share, edit and review documents on the go. However, the growth in popularity of these tools has also sparked an upsurge in cyber criminals targeting these platforms – particularly Office 365. With Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks on the rise, Office 365 users are, in fact among the most heavily targeted. According to the FBI, BEC attacks were responsible for more than $5.3 billion in losses between 2013 and 2016. Now, with Microsoft’s acquisition of the world’s biggest professional networking site, LinkedIn, it seems that there will be even more avenues for email fraudsters to take when targeting businesses and their employees using BEC methods. Soon, Office 365 users will be able to co-edit documents from within LinkedIn. While the rollout date … [Read more...] about Office 365 and LinkedIn integration – a goldmine for fraudsters?
Global survey reveals low adoption of multi-factor authentication for Office 365
Presented by Specops Software Office 365 has the highest adoption rate of any SaaS application, making it a prime target for attacks. Unfortunately, its multi-factor authentication (MFA) is not being utilized at the same pace as the application’s adoption. Microsoft does offer phone-based MFA as part of an Office 365 license or through a premium Azure AD plan. However, the reality is that only 20 percent of organizations use MFA for admins and users. Sensitive information is stored in Microsoft Office 365 documents such as business plans, financial forecasts, personnel data, and even passwords. Microsoft explains that 10 million attacks to Office 365 accounts happen daily. How many of these accounts rely on a single point of vulnerability — the password? Attackers take advantage of low-hanging fruit, such as users’ limited IT security awareness and accounts with single factor authentication. In Microsoft’s most recent Security Intelligence report, they … [Read more...] about Global survey reveals low adoption of multi-factor authentication for Office 365
Four tips for Office 365 resellers to be more nimble in 2018
Unequivocally, the best way to ensure successful adoption of the modern workplace is to drive home its intrinsic value to your customer. It all depends on where they are in their cloud roadmap. Your customer may not feel comfortable or ready to migrate all their business data into the cloud at once. Based on our experience as one of the UK's top Cloud Distributors, we repeatedly hear from our customers that, when speaking to SMEs, one of the most popular options they choose is a hybrid model. Based on that experience, if planned and executed appropriately, resolving entrenched business issues is an essential part of a successful cloud migration and workplace transformation. Here are four steps to improve your chances of success: Numerous factors weigh into the decision to select either Office 365, G Suite or another productivity suite entirely. Among them are the desire to continue using productivity applications on the desktop, ensuring files are stored securely in the … [Read more...] about Four tips for Office 365 resellers to be more nimble in 2018
Microsoft adds file protection and email encryption to Office 365
Some of these tools, like the 30-day OneDrive backup feature Files Restore, were brought over from the Business version to Home and Personal Office 365. The suite can now detect ransomware attacks and guide users through the recovery process, which pinpoints the time and date of the incident and restores OneDrive to its state before that.The tools also cover sharing files between users, too. You can now set and require a password to access a shared OneDrive file or folder, which protects it if the link to the document is inadvertently forwarded. Additionally, starting later in 2018, links clicked on in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint will be checked in real-time to find whether the destination website will likely download malware or be part of a phishing scam.The new security features extend to outgoing messages. Outlook.com now offers end-to-end email encryption, which includes security mechanisms on the recipient's end. If they aren't opening the message in Outlook's browser login, … [Read more...] about Microsoft adds file protection and email encryption to Office 365