Multi-factor authentication for Microsoft Office
Wednesday, 04 December 2019
On 10 December, we will be changing the way Microsoft Office applications are accessed remotely.
If you wish to use programmes such as Outlook, Word and Excel off campus, when you log on to the University network, you will be asked to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication before you can use these applications.
This would generally involve either saying ‘Approve' to a login notification on your smartphone or entering a unique code available on your phone.
We recommend that you download the Microsoft Authenticator App on your smartphone to help you do this. This app is available for Android, iOS and Windows smartphones.
Instructions on how to set up the app are available on the Remote Services Access Guide.
If you do not have a smartphone, the authentication works through an SMS sent to your mobile phone or through a call on a landline.
These changes are part of our work to make the University and its IT systems secure. Every week, around 40 University accounts are hacked - requiring urgent work to secure those accounts. We need your support to facilitate a secure infrastructure that colleagues can use to work flexibly.
If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please email IT Service Desk (it@reading.ac.uk).