Announcing mandatory multi-factor authentication for Azure sign-in | Microsoft Azure Blog (2024)

Learn how MFA can protect your data and identity, and get ready for the upcoming MFA requirement for Azure.

Learn how multifactor authentication (MFA) can protect your data and identity and get ready for Azure’s upcoming MFA requirement.

As cyberattacks become increasingly frequent, sophisticated, and damaging, safeguarding your digital assets has never been more critical. As part of Microsoft’s $20 billion dollar investment in securityover the next five years and our commitment to enhancing security in our services in 2024, we are introducing mandatory multifactor authentication (MFA) for all Azure sign-ins.

The need for enhanced security

One of the pillars of Microsoft’sSecure Future Initiative (SFI)is dedicated to protecting identities and secrets—we want to reduce the risk of unauthorized access by implementing and enforcing best-in-class standards across all identity and secrets infrastructure, and user and application authentication and authorization. As part of this important priority, we are taking the following actions:

  • Protect identity infrastructure signing and platform keys with rapid and automatic rotation with hardware storage and protection (for example, hardware security module (HSM) and confidential compute).
  • Strengthen identity standards and drive their adoption through use of standard SDKs across 100% of applications.
  • Ensure 100% of user accounts are protected with securely managed, phishing-resistant multifactor authentication.
  • Ensure 100% of applications are protected with system-managed credentials (for example, Managed Identity and Managed Certificates).
  • Ensure 100% of identity tokens are protected with stateful and durable validation.
  • Adopt more fine-grained partitioning of identity signing keys and platform keys.
  • Ensure identity and public key infrastructure (PKI) systems are ready for a post-quantum cryptography world.

Ensuring Azure accounts are protected with securely managed, phishing-resistant multifactor authentication is a key action we are taking. As recent research by Microsoft shows that multifactor authentication (MFA) can block more than 99.2% of account compromise attacks, making it one of the most effective security measures available, today’s announcement brings us all one step closer toward a more secure future.

In May 2024, we talked about implementing automatic enforcement of multifactor authentication by default across more than one million Microsoft Entra ID tenants within Microsoft, including tenants for development, testing, demos, and production. We are extending this best practice of enforcing MFA to our customers by making it required to access Azure. In doing so, we will not only reduce the risk of account compromise and data breach for our customers, but also help organizations comply with several security standards and regulations, such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Preparing for mandatory Azure MFA

Required MFA for all Azure users will be rolled out in phases starting in the 2nd half of calendar year 2024 to provide our customers time to plan their implementation:

  • Phase 1: Starting in October, MFA will be required to sign-in toAzure portal,Microsoft Entra admin center,andIntune admin center. The enforcement will gradually roll out to all tenants worldwide. This phase will not impact other Azure clients such as Azure Command Line Interface, Azure PowerShell, Azure mobile app and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools.
  • Phase 2: Beginning in early 2025, gradual enforcement for MFA at sign-in for Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell,Azure mobile app, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools will commence.

Beginning today, Microsoft will send a 60-day advance notice to all Entra global admins by emailand throughAzure Service Health Notificationsto notify the start date of enforcement and actions required. Additional notifications will be sent through the Azure portal, Entra admin center, and theM365 message center.

For customers who need additional time to prepare for mandatory Azure MFA, Microsoft will review extended timeframes for customers with complex environments or technical barriers.

How to use Microsoft Entra for flexible MFA

Organizations have multiple ways to enable their users to utilize MFA through Microsoft Entra:

  • Microsoft Authenticator allows users to approve sign-ins from a mobile app using push notifications, biometrics, or one-time passcodes. Augment or replace passwords with two-step verification and boost the security of your accounts from your mobile device.
  • FIDO2 security keys provide access by signing in without a username or password using an external USB, near-field communication (NFC), or other external security key that supports Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standards in place of a password.
  • Certificate-based authentication enforces phishing-resistant MFA using personal identity verification (PIV) and common access card (CAC). Authenticate using X.509 certificates on smart cards or devices directly against Microsoft Entra ID for browser and application sign-in.
  • Passkeys allow for phishing-resistant authentication using Microsoft Authenticator.
  • Finally, and this is the least secure version of MFA, you can also use a SMS or voice approval as described inthis documentation.

External multifactor authentication solutions and federated identity providers will continue to be supported and will meet the MFA requirement if they are configured to send an MFA claim.

Moving forward

At Microsoft, your security is our top priority. By enforcing MFA for Azure sign-ins, we aim to provide you with the best protection against cyber threats. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to enhancing the security of your Azure resources.

Our goal is to deliver a low-friction experience for legitimate customers while ensuring robust security measures are in place. We encourage all customers to begin planning for compliance as soon as possible to avoid any business interruptions.

Start today! For additional details on implementation, impacted accounts, and next steps for you, please refer tothis documentation.

Announcing mandatory multi-factor authentication for Azure sign-in | Microsoft Azure Blog (2024)

FAQs

Announcing mandatory multi-factor authentication for Azure sign-in | Microsoft Azure Blog? ›

Required MFA for all Azure users will be rolled out in phases starting in the 2nd half of calendar year 2024 to provide our customers time to plan their implementation: Phase 1: Starting in October, MFA will be required to sign-in to Azure portal, Microsoft Entra

Microsoft Entra
Microsoft Entra ID is a cloud-based identity and access management service that your employees can use to access external resources. Example resources include Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and thousands of other SaaS applications.
https://learn.microsoft.com › entra › fundamentals › whatis
admin center, and Intune
Intune
Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based endpoint management solution. It manages user access to organizational resources and simplifies app and device management across your many devices, including mobile devices, desktop computers, and virtual endpoints.
https://learn.microsoft.com › fundamentals › what-is-intune
admin center.

How do I enforce Multi-Factor Authentication in Azure? ›

Policy configuration
  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Security Administrator.
  2. Select Protection > Identity Protection > MFA registration policy.
  3. Under Assignments > Users: ...
  4. Select Enforce Policy - On.
  5. Select Save.
Jul 16, 2024

Is Microsoft MFA mandatory? ›

At Microsoft, we're committed to providing our customers with the highest level of security. That's why, starting in 2024, we'll enforce mandatory multifactor authentication (MFA) for all Azure sign-in attempts. For more background about this requirement, check out our blog post.

What is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and its importance in Azure? ›

Multifactor authentication is a process in which users are prompted during the sign-in process for an additional form of identification, such as a code on their cellphone or a fingerprint scan. If you only use a password to authenticate a user, it leaves an insecure vector for attack.

How do I enable MFA in Azure per user? ›

Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least an Authentication Administrator. Browse to Identity > Users > All users. Select a user account, and click Enable MFA. Enabled users are automatically switched to Enforced when they register for Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication.

How do I enforce MFA registration in Azure AD? ›

This is a good first step when troubleshooting Multi-Factor Authentication end user issues.
  1. Sign in to the Azure portal.
  2. On the left, select Azure Active Directory > Users > All Users.
  3. Choose the user you wish to perform an action on and select Authentication Methods.
  4. Click Require re-register MFA and save.

How to check if MFA is enabled in Azure? ›

1. How to check if MFA is enabled from the Azure Portal
  1. Sign in to the Azure portal as a Global administrator.
  2. Search for and select Azure Active Directory, then select Users > All users.
  3. Select Per-user MFA.
  4. A new page opens that displays the user state, as shown in the following example.
Oct 3, 2023

Is MFA mandatory for Azure AD? ›

Enforcement for the MFA requirement at Azure sign-in will be rolled out in phases: Phase 1: Starting in July 2024, enforcement for MFA at sign-in for Azure portal only will roll out gradually to all tenants. This phase will not impact any other Azure clients, such as Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell and IaC tools.

Why is MFA mandatory? ›

Multifactor Authentication Provides Extra Security

Your company's intellectual property, employee personal information, customer information and other data are prime targets for criminal activity. Passwords alone are not always effective at protecting your organization's data.

Should you always have MFA enabled? ›

Multi-factor authentication is important, as it makes stealing your information harder for the average criminal. The less enticing your data, the more likely that thieves will choose someone else to target. As the name implies, MFA blends at least two separate factors.

What are the two valid methods for Azure MFA? ›

Two valid methods for Azure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) are picture identification and a passport number. Azure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) can be required for administrative and non-administrative user accounts.

What triggers Microsoft MFA? ›

MFA works in Microsoft Entra by requiring two or more of the following authentication methods: A password. A trusted device that's not easily duplicated, such as a phone or hardware key. Biometrics such as a fingerprint or face scan.

What is the Azure role for multi-factor authentication? ›

To enable MFA on Azure AD, you need to have roles like Global Administrator or Security Administrator or Conditional Access Administrator on your Azure AD tenant. Make sure to acquire Azure AD Premium P1 license if you want to use conditional access policies for enabling MFA.

How to check if MFA is enforced? ›

Sign-in to the Microsoft Entra admin center. Go to All Users residing under Identity»Users and select Per-user MFA. Now, you'd be redirected to the multi-factor authentication page. In the list of users, view the multi-factor authentication status field to see the current MFA status for each user.

What's the difference between enabled and enforced MFA? ›

MFA Enabled: The user has been enrolled in MFA but has not completed the registration process. They will be prompted to complete the registration process the next time they sign in. MFA Enforced: The user has been enrolled and has completed the MFA registration process.

Do you need MFA for Azure portal? ›

Required MFA for all Azure users will be rolled out in phases starting in the 2nd half of calendar year 2024 to provide our customers time to plan their implementation: Phase 1: Starting in October, MFA will be required to sign-in to Azure portal, Microsoft Entra admin center, and Intune admin center.

How to enforce MFA using Conditional Access policy? ›

The following steps help create a Conditional Access policy to require all users do multifactor authentication.
  1. Sign in to the Microsoft Entra admin center as at least a Conditional Access Administrator.
  2. Browse to Protection > Conditional Access > Policies.
  3. Select New policy.
  4. Give your policy a name.
May 29, 2024

How do you enforce MFA for all users and guests? ›

To enforce MFA, you need to create a Microsoft Entra Conditional Access policy. MFA policies are always enforced at your organization, regardless of whether the partner has MFA capabilities. A valid external email account that you can add to your tenant directory as a guest user and use to sign in.

What is the difference between enabled and enforced MFA? ›

MFA Enabled: The user has been enrolled in MFA but has not completed the registration process. They will be prompted to complete the registration process the next time they sign in. MFA Enforced: The user has been enrolled and has completed the MFA registration process.

How to enforce MFA in Office 365? ›

Setting up MFA in Office 365: A step-by-step guide
  1. Step 1: Access the Office 365 admin center. ...
  2. Step 2: Navigate to MFA settings. ...
  3. Step 3: Enable MFA for users. ...
  4. Step 4: Configure MFA settings. ...
  5. Step 5: Review and enforce MFA settings. ...
  6. Step 6: Advanced MFA settings (optional) ...
  7. Step 7: Continuous monitoring and management.
Aug 12, 2024

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