Effective, September 1, 2022, the Millsaps ITS department will be phasing out support for email and calendar applications using Basic Authentication in order to support applications using Multi-Factor Authentication. These changes will impact how the Millsaps community accesses college email and calendar accounts and enhance the college’s cybersecurity when accessing Office 365.

Keep reading to find out why these changes are taking place and how you may be affected.

Basic Authentication vs. Multi-Factor Authentication

Basic Authentication is the simplest and most common login method used by online applications. Typically, a user only provides a username and password to access the application. However, this leaves users open to a cybersecurity risk from password theft.

Multi-Factor Authentication increases cybersecurity by requiring users to identify themselves with more than just a username and password. So, in addition to entering a username and password, a user may be required to enter a code sent to their phone as a text message, answer a personal security question or use a separate application to verify their identity.

Microsoft and Multi-Factor Authentication

Microsoft has supported many ways of accessing email and calendar applications, such as Microsoft’s own Outlook and related Microsoft-owned applications. Many Office 365 users access email and calendars through other clients and apps, including Apple’s Mail and Calendar, as well as older desktop applications like Eudora, Pine and Thunderbird, which use Basic Authentication.

As cyberattacks become more common and sophisticated, Microsoft will be phasing out Basic Authentication on October 1, 2022. This change will increase cybersecurity and decrease the likelihood a hacker will be able to access an account with a stolen password.

What’s Next?

If you use more than one way of checking your Millsaps email and calendar, please see below for the steps needed for the device and application used:

Microsoft Outlook

Apple Mail and Calendar Apps

  • iOS 11, iPads 13.1 and Mac OS 10.14 (Mojave) and newer support Microsoft Modern Authentication; however, you may need to delete and re-add your email/calendar account profile to avoid a service interruption
  • Any device using older versions, you will need to upgrade your Mac OS or switch to using Outlook for Mac or Outlook on the Web

IMAP/POP Applications (Thunderbird, Eudora, PINE, etc.)

Email applications that use Basic Authentication in combination with POP, IMAP or Exchange ActiveSync will no longer work. Examples include Thunderbird, Eudora, PINE and the current POP version of Gmail’s “Check mail from another account” feature. Upgrade your application to a version that supports Modern Authentication, if available. If an updated version is not available, we recommend switching to the latest version of Outlook or using Outlook on the Web.

Important Note for POP Users – Many POP clients delete messages from the server once they have been downloaded to your computer. To avoid losing saved messages, make sure you have backed up your locally stored messages before uninstalling your old email client.

iOS Mail and Calendar Mobile Apps

The Mail and Calendar apps that come with iOS will continue to work. However, you may need to delete and re-add your email/calendar account to avoid a service interruption.

Android Mail and Calendar Mobile Apps

Android does not support Microsoft’s new method of logging in. To avoid a service interruption, you will need to install Outlook for Android.

If you have any questions or need assistance with this transition or any IT needs, please contact us at help@millsaps.edu or call 601.974.1144.