Azure MFA (but dont always have a phone)?

Silver Contributor

We are working on deploying Azure MFA (cloud only).

 

An interesting scenario has come up with users that don't have mobile phones.  While the scenario rare, what is a user to do if (1) they don't have a mobile phone and (2) they are not in a trusted IP location?

 

Same thing could apply if the user forgot their phone at home and was at a customer site, etc. 

 

Does basic Azure MFA have any extra work around at this point in time?

9 Replies

You can configure an alternative phone, but apart from that, no. The On-Prem version has a bypass option and alternative method via security questions, this is not yet available for Azure MFA (but I believe it's coming).

hope so thanks.

I dont suppose services like Azure MFA post a roadmap like other O365 services, i've yet to find one at least.

Havent seen any roadmap either, just the occasional hint for a new feature...

Two things - it doesn't have to a be a mobile phone - it could be any predefined phone such as a landline.

 

I have customers where the 1st MFA phone is a users mobile, but the backup is the "Secretary" administrative assistant person.

The protocol is if UserX call the AA and gives a heads up that he (the AA ) will be getting a phone call from MSFT auth. The AA puts UserX on hold and checks with UserX boss or userX calendar to confirm that offsite and also tries to call user X to confirm no answer.

 

Then the AA tells UserX to go ahead and trigger Auth.

 

Cumbersome - but provides the some level of identification anti-spoofing verification.

 

The business could also look into providing a non-smart phone with a text only plan (aka pager). 

 

There is also this for the "I forgot my phone at home" : https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/multi-factor-authentication/multi-factor-authentication-whats...

 

 

The bypass is server-only, read the description:

 

Spoiler
Allow a user to authenticate without performing two-step verification for a limited time. The bypass goes into effect immediately, and expires after the specified number of seconds. This feature only applies to MFA Server deployment.

 

Why is bypass only for on-prem only?  It seems like the cloud MFA admin capabilities are very limited.

That's a question you should be asking Microsoft :)

Hi Brent,

For users not having (or not willing to use their own) mobile phones, the solution is to use hardware tokens. MFA Server on-prem is allowing to use standard OATH TOTP tokens, however, with Cloud MFA the only solution is the programmable tokens.

 

Regards,

Guy

 

Disclaimer: I am affiliated with Token2

 

 

 

 

Windows Azure officially supports DeepNet SafeID hardware tokens which are OATH compliant. You might want to check it out:

http://www.deepnetsecurity.com/authenticators/one-time-password/safeid/
http://wiki.deepnetsecurity.com/display/KB/How+to+Import+SafeID+Token+into+Azure+MFA+Server