Microsoft has announced that users of personal Outlook accounts will need to adopt modern authentication methods, meaning that logging in with just your email address and password will no longer be sufficient.
The company explained in a statement that it seeks to guarantee the protection of its clients’ emails, calendars, documents and contacts against unauthorized access, which has motivated a “reinforcement of its commitment to security”, aligned with the Initiative Secure Future (SFI).
These changes will be made to improve the security of the platform.
Photo:Microsoft Community
This change will be reflected in a new authentication policy for personal accounts, such as those using the domains ‘outlook.com’, ‘hotmail.com’ and ‘live.com’, as detailed on its blog.
Starting September 16, owners of these accounts will be required to use “modern authentication methods” in the email application. This means that it will no longer be enough to protect accounts with just a username and password, but additional security measures will have to be implemented.
The company has noted that “although basic authentication was the standard for a long time,” it also made it easier for cybercriminals to access user login data, increasing the risk that stolen credentials would be reused to gain access to emails and personal information.
To avoid these security incidents, Outlook will force users of Microsoft email accounts to use applications that support modern authenticationsuch as the latest versions of Outlook for iOS, Android, Mac or Windows, as well as Apple Mail and Thunderbird.
Likewise, Microsoft has announced that, to “deliver the most secure email experience” to its customers, the Mail and Calendar applications will no longer be supported and will not be available in the Microsoft Store at the end of 2024.
Finally, he indicated that the simple version of Outlook Web App We will no longer support older browsers after August 19. Users will need to use Microsoft Edge, Chrome (version 79 or later), Firefox (version 78 or later), Safari (starting with version 16), and Opera (v.76 or later) to continue using the service.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence based on information from Europa Press and was reviewed by the journalist and an editor.
