Choosing an authentication mechanism

Everyone is familiar with using an identity and a corresponding password to log in to a device, service, application, or website. While Microsoft 365 supports traditional username and password authentication mechanisms, there are newer methods that provide fewer opportunities for malicious users to compromise identities, applications, and devices.

Microsoft has long advocated for using multi-factor authentication (MFA) as part of the login process to help secure identities – that is, using some sort of supplementary login tool (such as a token, authenticator app, phone call, or text message) to confirm the login process. The weakest link in this chain is the password; interfaces unable to leverage the MFA process are more susceptible to bad actors.

With Microsoft’s newest password-less technologies, users get the advantage of MFA (something you have, something you know) without the frustration of remembering complex passwords...