Windows 10: Outlook will re-prompt for Authenticator approval while I am away from my computer. Why?...

My company has a policy to time out logins after 14 days. At that time, I will have to re-enter credentials or re-approve through Authenticator.


While that sounds reasonable, I find that when the timeout happens and my outlook is open on my computer, it will immediately send a request for authenticator approval. This almost always happens when I am away from my computer. Naturally, when I see an authenticator approval pop up when I am not logging into my account, I will become concerned that someone is trying to hack into my account. I have become more accustomed to it, but now I will always have to wonder "Is this a false positive again?"


Wouldn't it make more sense to ask the user if they would like to send an authenticator request? rather than automatically send when they are not actively participating???


I think this undermines the purpose of authenticator and the security is it supposed to provide.

:)

 

2 stage authentication - outlook

I setup up two stage authentication a couple days ago. I could have sworn that I was prompted for authentication in Outlook before today, but that's not happening. If I try to log in to Microsoft.com I have to approve it. Did I miss something?

 

Microsoft Account authentication

After more research, I have found my answer. It looks like the issue was that Microsoft released a new Microsoft Authenticator app with the features first introduced in Microsoft Authenticator Beta. The new app received a prompt to approve access to my Microsoft
Account when signing on from a new PC, though I find it strange that the beta app wasn't directly upgraded to the new version of the app.

Microsoft now has three 2 step authentication apps available in the store for Windows 10 Mobile:

• Authenticator - original app from Windows Phone 8
• Microsoft Authenticator Beta - originally released to Windows 10 users when Windows 10 Mobile was only available on the Windows Insider program.
• Microsoft Authenticator - the official Windows 10 app no longer in beta

 

Microsoft Account set to use 2 Factor Authentication & Authentication Phone App but it doesn't prompt for authentication when signing in to my Windows 10 PC locally or remotely (via RDP).

OK I created a 2nd Microsoft account and setup the Authentication App on an old phone I had lying around for 2-factor authentication.

Step 1

I logged into this website with that account and it prompted me with the Authentication App so 2 factor is setup correctly on the NEW Microsoft Account.

Step 2

I logged in on my Windows 10 PC with that NEW account and it also DOES NOT PROMPT for 2-Factor Authentication.

I tried to log in via RDP and, again, it DOES NOT PROMPT for 2-Factor.

My question remains unanswered.