Office 365 Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Guide

What is Two-Factor Authentication?

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is an additional step in the login process that verifies your identity when you log into Office 365.

Here is how Two-factor Authentication works for Alfred University: During the enrollment process, you will be redirected to a webpage that will require you to register a mobile number where you can receive a call, text or notification to a phone based authenticator application (perhaps the easiest method of 2FA). The enrollment process will take only a few minutes and will require that you have your mobile phones available on the day of enrollment. After you have registered that phone, you will be sent a call, text message or authenticator application notification whenever you login from off-campus. If you are on-campus, there will be no need for an additional authentication (other than the password).

The entire process is similar to the way banks secure login attempts to Online banking sites. Follow the directions below.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the ITS Helpdesk at 607-871-2222.

There are three methods for this

  1. Using an Authenticator App on your mobile phone, available via Android or iOS App Store (AU preferred method)
  2. Receiving an SMS text message on your mobile phone with a code
  3. Receiving an audible phone call to a trusted number with instructions


2FA was rolled out to student, faculty, and staff accounts starting in Fall 2020. This process has since been updated to automatically register 2FA as a required part of newly created accounts moving forward. It is a required and important part of responsible campus email usage to protect accounts as an added layer of security.

After 2FA is enabled for your account, you may occasionally receive a secondary authentication request when using desktop applications like Microsoft Outlook.

If you have any questions or problems, please contact the Alfred University ITS Helpdesk at 607-871-2222.

There are TWO options for using Microsoft's Authenticator App:

  • Option A – Receive a notification through the app that a login is being attempted; the user must confirm or deny the attempt
  • Option B – Open the authenticator app and enter a rotating, self-expiring code into the web page from the app
    1. Open a web browser and navigate to Office 365
    2. Click "Sign In"
    3. Use your full AU email address as your username
    4. Enter your full AU account password
    5. You will see a screen asking for more information. If you do not, your account is not enrolled in 2FA at this time. To request 2FA enrollment, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.multi-factor identification setup main menu
    6. Click "Next"
    7. On the next screen, click the dropdown menu (pictured)mfa security question menu
    8. In the dropdown menu, select "Mobile App"
      • Option A: Click the button marked "Receive Notifications for verification" and click "Set up"
      • Option B: Click the button marked "Use Verification Code" and click "Set up"
    9. Download the "Microsoft Authenticator" app (available for Android and iOS)microsoft authenticator app on Google Play
    10. Open the app and click the "+" symbol to create your account link
    11. Scan the QR code on the websiteExample of QR code
    12. Click "Next"
      • If you chose Option A, your phone should display this message at login:Approval for sign-in form
      • If you chose Option B, your computer will prompt you to enter a code from the app. Launch the authenticator app, and select your alfred.edu account. You will see a six–digit code that you will enter into your computer before the countdown expires (generating a new code).
    13. Proceed through any confirmation or validation you receive to ensure your authentication is set up properly
    14. Microsoft will ask for a backup phone number that can be used as an alternative 2FA step in case you are unable to use the app (if you don't have your phone on you). We recommend using a phone number that is different from your mobile device.Additional security verification
    15. Click "Done"
  1. Open a web browser and navigate to Office 365
  2. Click "Sign In"
  3. Use your full AU email address as your username
  4. Enter your full AU account password
  5. You should see a screen asking for more information. If you do not, your account is not enrolled in 2FA at this time. To request 2FA enrollment, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.
  6. Click "Next"
  7. On the next screen, click the dropdown menu
  8. Select "Authentication Phone"
  9. Select the country and enter your phone number in the space provided
  10. Select "Send me a code by text message" and click "Next"
  11. You will receive a SMS text message from Microsoft with a code to enter into the website
  12. On the website, enter the code and click "Next." Login will continue on your computer.
  13. Click "Done"
  1. Open a web browser and navigate to Office 365
  2. Click "Sign In"
  3. Use your full AU email address as your username
  4. Enter your full AU account password
  5. You should see a screen asking for more information. If you do not, your account is not enrolled in 2FA at this time. To request 2FA enrollment, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.
  6. Click "Next"
  7. On the next screen, click the dropdown menu
  8. Select "Authentication Phone"
  9. Select the country and enter your phone number in the space provided
  10. Select "Call Me" and click "Next"
  11. You will receive a phone call from Microsoft asking you to press the "#" key on your phone
  12. Once the # key is pressed, login will continue on your computer
  13. Click "Done"

Your email application may not support Two-Factor Authentication, if it is an older app, or if it is from a third–party vendor, such as Apple Mail. If this is the case, you can use the "App Password" you receive at the end of your 2FA setup to configure your email address with an unsupported app.mfa7

This code is for one–application, one–device use only. Copy it and keep it safe – once this screen goes away, there is no possible way to retrieve it again. To use the code, open your email application and use it in place of your AU password. If you need more codes, they can be generated by logging into your Office 365 account and then going to Active Directory.

If you have any trouble with this, please contact the ITS Helpdesk.

Important: If you use an "App Password" and your device is lost or stolen, you should notify your cellular carrier, the authorities, and the Alfred University ITS Helpdesk as soon as possible so we can purge these passwords from your account. This process will block any attempts at unauthorized access to your account from any outside parties.

Reminder: Some users have reported incompatibility between 2FA and email that is synched to their phones. After you enable 2FA, you may need to download Outlook on your phone, or open Outlook using your phone's browser.