Microsoft to make MFA compulsory for all Azure users

Microsoft is taking a major step to make cloud safer with multi-factor authentication (MFA) starting in July. This is an attempt by Microsoft to enhance security and keep company data and investments in the cloud secure.

MFA verifies identity of a user for multiple times before allowing access to a service or resource. This method adds an extra layer of protection beyond the traditional username and password authentication, significantly reducing the risk of account compromise and data breaches.

This rule will be put in place slowly and methodically so that users don’t have to deal with too many changes at once.

Microsoft has assured that communications regarding specific roll-out dates will be sent through direct emails and Azure Portal notifications. Users who prefer not to wait for the scheduled roll-out can set up MFA immediately using the MFA wizard for Microsoft Entra.

This development is a part of Microsoft’s Secure Future Initiative focusing on implementing new identity protections.

Erin Chapple, Corporate Vice President of Azure Core, emphasized the importance of MFA in securing customers on Azure. “Establishing this security baseline at the tenant level puts in place additional security to protect your cloud investments and company,” Chapple stated.

“MFA is a key component of identity and access management, ensuring that only authorized and authenticated users can access the services and resources.”

It is expected that MFA will benefit Azure users significantly. MFA will help to reduce risk of unauthorized access, protect sensitive data and help organizations meet compliance requirements.

Additionally, MFA is available and free for users to enable at the tenant level, making it an accessible and cost-effective security measure.