Please take a few mins to watch our IT Services video recorded by Alex Harding; providing a bit more information and advice about the current situation in our sector:
Understandably we are receiving a number of MFA queries following on from our email below, so we have attempted to pull together some FAQs:
· I do not have a smart phone (or I can’t get the authenticator app working on my smart phone), can I still MFA?
· I do not want to use my personal mobile for college work including MFA, is there an alternative?
· I don’t want to take my smart phone into class, how will this work?
· What if I forget my mobile phone?
· Does MFA apply when working in college or at home, or both?
· Will I be asked to authenticate every time I try to login to Outlook?
· Is this just for Outlook?
· Will I only be asked to authenticate as I am logging in?
· What do I need to do to prepare my files/folders for access from home if I won’t be using Remote Desktop?
· Why are you enforcing all of these measures?
I do not have a smart phone (or I can’t get the authenticator app working on my smart phone), can I still MFA?
Yes, you can select “Phone” as an authentication method within Outlook web so you can opt to receive a text code (or an automated phone call) to authenticate. If you watch the following video Camilla navigates to the section where you can select this (around 1 min 40s):
https://www.loom.com/share/6e63a25ba59c44e8a3eb79b46ba0602d
Please bear in mind however that MFA will be mandated for Remote Desktop access from Tuesday but it will only work with the authenticator app (we have tested this rigorously), therefore if you wish to access files/folders outside of core college teaching hours you will have to do so on-site or using OneDrive.
I do not want to use my personal mobile for college work including MFA, is there an alternative?
Unfortunately there are no alternatives, you can select to receive a code via text message or phone call however (see above FAQ) if you do not wish to use the authenticator app, there are drawbacks though as described above.
I don’t want to take my smart phone into class, how will this work?
You may get locked out of various applications during a class as we cannot specify the times you are asked to authenticate. Our strong advice would be to keep your mobile device with you.
What if I forget my mobile phone?
We can temporarily disable MFA for a short period on your account to allow you to work for that day, it would be re-enabled at the earliest possible moment however and you may be forced set up your authentication method again, possibly needing to remove and re-add your account from your authenticator app and/or 365 account.
Does MFA apply when working in college or at home, or both?
Both, whether working at home or college you will be prompted at times to approve your access via your mobile device.
Will I be asked to authenticate every time I try to login to Outlook?
No not every time, but you will be prompted intermittently to approve your login.
Will I only be asked to authenticate as I am logging in?
No you may get an MFA prompt on your mobile device when you are already logged in and working. If your application freezing, it would be worth having a look at your mobile device to see if the authentication box has popped up.
Is this just for Outlook?
No, it’s for all online Microsoft products; Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, etc. after Tuesday MFA will be required for Remote Desktop access as well.
What do I need to do to prepare my files/folders for access from home if I won’t be using Remote Desktop?
You need to copy your Home Area files/folders onto OneDrive. Will Sutton has recorded the following step by step instructions video to assist our staff and students in copying the files over:
https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/5ac86da2-babb-465f-9ebd-df6dc34028e4
We advise against copying files/folders to your OneDrive from your Shared Drives (G: or T: Drive, S: Drive, etc), if you need to access any of those from home please consult with your line manager as we are beginning to look at trialing OneDrive for Group Drives.
Why are you enforcing all of these measures?
Due to the heightened cyber threat on our doorstep, these are unfortunately necessary steps to keep Runshaw safe. MFA is not optional for any new purchase of Office 365, Microsoft has enforced it on all new business subscriptions so if we were a new customer we would not have the option of not having MFA.
Again we apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience and working with us.