Forum Discussion
MFA without a Cellphone
MatthewShulmansorry, but on my private phone I don´t install any that belongs to my job. PRIVATE is PRIVATE
ho_canarias Well, with MFA you aren't installing anything... All it's doing is sending a code to your phone when you go to log in to your work email. It's a standard security feature in many apps these days.
- not the same, i can leave my phone at home everyday, or pretend i don't have one, you can't force it as a company. I think you're just looking for the easy way out, 50% of Americans don't have a mobile phone.
- The point it, private is private & work is work. Don't force an employee to link the technologies. With all this hoopla I am starting to wonder why a software company is trying to force this issue by not simply leaving things with a passwords and question/answer.
cpbowcpbow The Authenticator app doesn't require or need any form of network connection if you select the OTP (Code method). Once registered to the user account - it constantly generates codes every 30 seconds or so based on an algorithm or seed which was linked with Azure at time of registration. So when a webpage displays "Enter the Code from your Authenticator" type message - it already knows what the correct code should be - and if you type in the correct code shown in the app - then you get access. The App itself doesn't need to transmit that code to Azure.
cpbowcpbow Yes the app will work with just wifi.
- I have a question: I currently have a cell phone (but no phone number); hence for the moment, I have only WiFi access (at home, work, or elsewhere). If I put the auth app on my phone, would my company's MS mail server be able to send a code to the app if I was on WiFi? I have read a bit here on the MS site, and I haven't seen this discussed.
Until just a couple months ago, I had a T-mobile account that gave me 100 texts, after which is was 10 US cents/text; my impression this was to send OR receive. I text rather rarely and it was an unusual month that I sent received > 20 texts. However, if I had to receive an MFA text, possibly even >once per day, I'd be over the free allotment. It wouldn't be that much, but not negligible, either. I expect my next plan to have unlimited texting, but a company should not assume this. While I am waffling on cell phone carrier, I've been unable to access my company's email for almost 2 weeks. (They dropped the receive call at land line option, because the found it to be unreliable.) I work in a lab and can get by without constant email access, but at least once I didn't know of a data need as quick as I should have. Companies need to consider whether everyone has (free) access to texts.
luvsql Not to mention that on top of that half the office I support they don't receive mobile signal anyway - work or personal mobile phone won't work
- If Microsoft would make it easier for businesses to buy USB or Fobs for MFA we wouldn't be having this conversation. I still haven't figured it out and it now seems we have to switch to passwordless but just want a way to authenticate without a phone. Cleary there is a need.
- Agree its not reasonable for business to force any employee to meet business goals.
But do these employees / associates never use business resources (internet / pc etc.) to for personal use ? Chet2142
It seems this day and age that expecting one to have a cell phone is akin to expecting them to have a car or other means to get to work. If there's laws that prevent it, that's one thing but otherwise I think it is very reasonable for a business to require an MFA app or text to login. If one does get charged for the texts, then a simple solution is to allow them to expense that cost.
