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Can I refuse MS Authenticator? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

247 comments fedilink hide all child comments

So my company decided to migrate office suite and email etc to Microsoft365. Whatever. But for 2FA login they decided to disable the option to choose "any authenticator" and force Microsoft Authenticator on the (private) phones of both employees and volunteers. Is there any valid reason why they would do this, like it's demonstrably safer? Or is this a battle I can pick to shield myself a little from MS?

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

Can you claim that you don't have a smartphone? Then they'd either have to provide an alternative authentication method, or provide you with a phone.

I've been part of the Microsoft Bad crowd for well over 25 years now, but there are a few things that I will concede that MS has done well. Authenticator is one of them. I haven't looked much into the privacy aspect of it, though.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago

Don't do that. Just say they will provide you with an authenticator paid for by them.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If it has Microsoft's name on it, the privacy implications are horrendous. Guaranteed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

It's odd that I prefer Microsoft to Google in terms of privacy at this point

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Strong disagree with Microsoft Authenticator being well done - anything that is needlessly incompatible with competitors is bullshit. Either make your authenticator use the standard or fuck off.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Push Authentication in the MS Authenticator is Microsoft's proprietary thing. And I think that's probably what we're talking about here.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

There's half a dozen other apps that do similar stuff, PingID, SecurID etc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Not as well as Bitwarden.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Except that the Authenticator is being forced in place of other, third party apps.

I don't mind using my phone to authenticate. But now I'm not allowed to do it from Bitwarden. I must use their app.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Are you forced to use their app or are they just very insistently trying to trick you into using it? I.e., have you tried with Bitwarden or any other TOTP capable app?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

I’m using a non-Google authenticator even though Google hit me with an “install Google Authenticator” dark pattern. Was kinda surprised it worked. Then I was miffed.