Sign in to your work or school account using your two-step verification method
The purpose of this article is to walk through a typical sign-in experience.
What will your sign-in experience be?
Your sign-in experience differs depending on what you choose to use as your second factor: a phone call, an authentication app, or texts.
Sign in Options:
Sign in with a phone call
Sign in with a text message
Sign in with the Microsoft Authenticator app ( NDX Recommends this method) ( this can be found in your phones App store)
Please note: for your phone app and server you will be asked to do this the first time, and only there after if you change your password.
Should you sign in with a web browser to view your mail you will be prompted each time to authenticate.
Step 1:
On a laptop or desktop computer, go to: https://www.office.com/
Sign in with your email address and password
Step 2:
Select the authentication method, most users select Text message or Authentication App
Sign In Detailed steps:
Sign in with a phone call:
The following information describes the two-step verification experience with a call to your mobile or office phone.
Sign in to an application or service such as Microsoft 365 using your username and password.
Microsoft calls you.
Answer the phone and press the # key.
2. Sign in with a text message:
The following information describes the two-step verification experience with a text message to your mobile phone:
Sign in to an application or service such as Microsoft 365 using your username and password.
Microsoft sends you a text message that contains a verification code.
Enter the code in the box provided on the sign-in page.
3. Sign in with the Microsoft Authenticator app: (must first be installed on your phone before proceeding.)
Android Google Play Store
iPhone Apple Store
The following information describes the experience of using the Microsoft Authenticator app for two-step verifications. There are two different ways to use the app. You can receive push notifications on your device, or you can open the app to get a verification code.
To sign in with a notification from the Microsoft Authenticator app
Sign in to an application or service such as Microsoft 365 using your username and password.
Microsoft sends a notification to the Microsoft Authenticator app on your device.
Open the notification on your phone and select the Verify key. If your company requires a PIN, enter it here. You should now be signed in.
To sign in using a verification code with the Microsoft Authenticator app
If you use the Microsoft Authenticator app to get verification codes, then when you open the app you see a number under your account name. This number changes every 30 seconds so that you don't use the same number twice. When you're asked for a verification code, open the app and use whatever number is currently displayed.
Sign in to an application or service such as Microsoft 365 using your username and password.
Microsoft prompts you for a verification code.
Open the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone and enter the code in the box where you are signing in.
Set up multi-factor authentication with a mobile device in Microsoft 365 Business VIDEO
Microsoft 365 sign-in for multi-factor authentication
Cybersecurity Tips for Employees
In this eBook, we explore the need for employees to practice strict and secure cyber-security habits— not only to thwart digital attacks, but also to prevent someone from simply walking by their desk (in the office or at home) and picking up a device or document that contains sensitive information. We also present the key steps SMB business owners can take to educate their employees to help secure their company’s data and intellectual property.
When developing cybersecurity programs, many businesses focus on protecting their infrastructure perimeter and device endpoints. After all, that’s where cybercriminals usually first gain access and wreak havoc on a company’s digital access.
But it’s also important to consider what happens when a threat bypasses perimeter defenses and targets an employee—in the form of a malicious email or text, or even a voicemail that might prompt an employee to respond with confidential company information. There’s also the possibility of an offline attack from inside the office, where an employee or an office visitor might gain access to valuable data by quickly taking something carelessly left on a desk.
According to a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey, 86% of business executives expressed concern about cyber threats, including a lack of data security. In addition, 100% of IT professionals recently surveyed at an SMB said they could improve their cybersecurity systems. These numbers indicate that it’s clear there’s a pressing need for better cybersecurity. The issue is not going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s only getting worse.
Stronger cybersecurity has become a global priority over the last few years as hackers penetrate the IT infrastructure of government and enterprises with increasing frequency and sophistication. According to a recent government report, How to Protect Your Networks from Ransomware, 4,000 ransomware attacks occurred per day in 2016. Furthermore, the annual cost of global cybercrime damages are estimated to cost $6 trillion by 2021, according to a 2017 Cybercrime Report by Cybersecurity Ventures. Coupled with the Internet of Things (IoT) and the explosive growth of mobile devices, the threat landscape and potential for data leaks is even more significant.
In this eBook, we explore the need for employees to practice strict and secure cybersecurity habits— not only to thwart digital attacks, but also to prevent someone from simply walking by their desk (in the office or at home) and picking up a device or document that contains sensitive information. We also present the key steps SMB business owners can take to educate their employees to help secure their company’s data and intellectual property.
We can’t stress enough the importance of security awareness training for internal employees. Educating them on what it takes to protect proprietary documents and data is critical. Any leaks— unintentional and intentional—could hurt the business in the form of information that assists a competitor, violates regulations, or harms the corporate image. Leaks can also hurt employees from the standpoint of personal information that might be exposed. Lastly, customers and business partners could be at risk, compromising the industry reputation of any business that does not properly protect confidential information. It only takes one incident to completely destroy any goodwill you established and built with your customer base.
Has Your Website Been Optimized for Mobile Users?
Did you know that this year there will be more mobile web surfers than stationary ones? That means more prospects are accessing your business website more through their smart phones, tablets or other mobile devices than with a laptop or PC. If you thought you had time to make the switch this year, you may want to reconsider in light of new research. A recent study revealed that around 40% of prospects move on to a competitor if they have a poor mobile experience. How prepared is your business for this change? Well, if you are just starting out, the following checklist will help…
1. Make sure your mobile site is different from your regular website – While you must stick to your branding standards, your mobile website should be simpler than your web version. The reason being is that complicated designs that load well and look good on computers are often distorted when accessed through a mobile device. Plus, mobile surfers don’t really have the time to sift through a lot of content. Bottom line: your website’s mobile friendly version should be short, simple and sweet…offering your viewers the most important and basic sections of your website.
2. Option to access the actual website – That said, do provide your viewers with the option to access your regular website through their mobile device, as some viewers will prefer to stick with what is familiar.
3. Sitemap – Whether it’s your actual website or the mobile version, make sure you have a sitemap in place. A sitemap just makes it easier for your viewers to navigate through the site.
4. Get rid of flash – Most mobile devices don’t support flash. Keep this in mind when optimizing your website for the mobile surfer. Simple images that load fast are your best bet.
5. Testing – Make sure you test your mobile website thoroughly on different operating systems, browsers and devices. What looks good on one device might be totally distorted on another.
You could also develop a mobile application instead of a website, but most SMBs find that option too expensive and complicated. So, for now, put the 5 tips mentioned above into use and get your mobile-friendly website into action…
Five Things You Should Do Right Now to Preserve Your Network and Systems
As catastrophic as data loss is, the number of businesses that still are not backing up their network is unbelievable. According to the Symantec Small to Medium Size Businesses (SMB) data, only 23% of SMBs are backing up their data on a daily basis and fewer than 50% are backing up data weekly.
1. Backup Files Every Day – As catastrophic as data loss is, the number of businesses that still are not backing up their network is unbelievable. According to the Symantec Small to Medium Size Businesses (SMB) data, only 23% of SMBs are backing up their data on a daily basis and fewer than 50% are backing up data weekly. Any number of events can result in data loss, so the importance of frequently backing up your network cannot be overstated.
2. Ensure Backup Procedures Are Checked Regularly – Many times business owners think that they have a backup system in place only to find out after it’s too late that it hasn’t been working properly. It may seem like your files are being backed up daily, however, the backup could have become corrupt or it is not backing up huge chunks of critical data. Check your backup procedures regularly to ensure they are working properly in order to be sure that ALL of your data can be recovered. In the age of BYOD (Bring-Your-Own-Devices) it is also important to frequently backup data on your employee’s personal laptops, iPads or Blackberrys, so make sure you have a procedure in place to check those backups as well.
3. Make Sure Updated Virus Protection and Firewalls Are Always Enabled – Far too many companies either have no virus protection, expired virus software licenses, or disabled virus programs that aren’t running at all. This makes their business technology vulnerable to virus attacks from emails, spam, data downloads, and unreputable websites. Further, because of inadequate firewall protection about 40% of small to medium businesses will have their network accessed by a hacker. Chances are, when these businesses are attacked they will be entirely unaware it is happening. In order to protect your valuable data and assets, ensure your virus protection is adequate, up-to-date and functioning properly and that your firewall is intact. Finally, don’t forget to update security patches and change passwords when an employee leaves in order to deter hacking attempts.
4. Monitor Server Drives – Dangerously full server drives can bring their own set of problems – ranging from program and server crashes to sluggish email delivery. Proactive monitoring and maintenance of your server can spare your business a lot of problems down the road.
5. Regularly Check Critical Built-In Logs – Very few problems with technology emerge suddenly. These problems typically progress over time and evolve into more serious problems. Frequently review your critical built-in log files to help identify the problem before it has gotten out of control and wreaks havoc on your business infrastructure.