Get Ready: Phase 2 of Microsoft’s Multi-Factor Authentication Plan is Coming!

Update: Microsoft has announced the Phase 2 date for July 1st, 2025.

Remember, Microsoft announced in 2024 that it would enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) on its Azure products and other administration portals in a two-phase plan.

The first phase of this plan took place in October 2024. We even wrote a post about it to help you prepare. Now, the time has come for phase 2, although Microsoft has not yet revealed a more precise date than "early 2025."

What does phase 2 of the MFA plan involve?

This second phase aims to make MFA mandatory when connecting to Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, the Azure mobile app, and when using Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools.

To recap, MFA is a secure authentication method that requires at least two verification factors to access the desired service. For example, when you need to enter a password and then a code received by text message, you are using the multi-factor authentication method.

Microsoft now requires it to be activated to ensure that administrators can log in to the Azure portal, the Microsoft Entra admin center, and the Intune admin center [Phase 1], as well as the Microsoft 365 admin center, the Azure Command-Line Interface (Azure CLI), Azure PowerShell, the Azure mobile app, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools [Phase 2].

Why this change?

By making MFA mandatory, Microsoft is simply strengthening the security of your data. This measure is one of the most effective available. Research conducted by Microsoft has shown that this simple measure can block 99.2% of account compromise attacks [1]. Additionally, Les Affaires recently estimated that 41% of SMEs that were victims of a cyberattack reported damages of over $100,000 [2]. Microsoft's new measure therefore seems wise, even essential.

Not sure what you need to do? Feel free to contact your IT partner GTI. Our experts always stay informed about the changes to be made to ensure that our clients comply with new regulations and that their operations remain smooth.

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