Microsoft 365 and Modern Authentication

Overview

In summer 2020, OIT disabled basic authentication to Microsoft 365. Access to Microsoft 365 requires modern authentication which is capable of two-factor authentication. Basic authentication protocols include IMAP, POP, & ActiveSync.

Clients with Support support for 2FA and Modern Auth

These email clients support two-factor authentication with Office 365. 

• Windows: Outlook 2019/2016, Mail app on Windows 10 
• Mac: Outlook 2019/2016 for Mac, Mail app on macOS 10.14 Mojave and later
• Web: Outlook on the Web - office365.utk.edu 
• Linux: Thunderbird
• Mobile Device: Outlook App for iOS and Android
  • iOS 11 or later, iPadOS 13.1 or later, and macOS 10.14 or later support Microsoft Modern Authentication.

Email clients, such as Thunderbird, will only work if configured to use OAuth2.0.

Why OIT Made This Change

OIT made this change to make email more secure.  Basic authentication doesn’t require two-factor authentication which leaves the user and the university vulnerable.  Because of that, it gives hackers an easy way to exploit an account once they have your password. Remember, two-factor authentication doesn’t prevent your password from being compromised; it only requires another piece of information for authentication to better secure access to resources. 

Technical Details 

The following applications and services are impacted due to basic authentication being disabled.