3 Reasons Your Login Attempt Might Be Denied
“Why can’t I access my emails? I’m just trying to work from my new phone!”
If you’ve ever experienced this frustration, you’re not alone.
Remote work has been common since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many organizations have instituted return-to-office policies, some have relaxed those policies and allowed employees to work a hybrid schedule or continue working remotely.
Remote work presents unique challenges for organizations, particularly in ensuring that company data remains secure and accessible only to authorized users.
To address these challenges, we’ve updated our security policies for accessing Microsoft 365 cloud data, which may sometimes cause disruptions for authorized employees. Here are three common reasons why you might lose access to your M365 cloud data.
1. Traveling Abroad
If you attempt to access your M365 cloud data from outside of the United States without prior notification, you will be denied access. This precaution is taken because we cannot verify whether the login attempt is legitimate when it originates from a foreign location.
To err on the side of caution, we prevent access until we can confirm it is you trying to log in. If you plan to travel and need access to your M365 cloud data, please notify us in advance.
“Communicating your travel plans, registering new devices and avoiding personal VPN use when accessing company data are the best ways to ensure uninterrupted access.”
2. You’re Using a Personal VPN for the First Time
Using a personal virtual private network (VPN) to access M365 cloud data can trigger an access denial. Personal VPNs disguise your IP address, making it difficult for us to verify your identity.
It’s a lot like walking into the bank with a ski mask on; it doesn’t make you a robber, but you have to admit it looks awfully suspicious. And you can’t blame a security guard for detaining you until they can confirm you aren’t dangerous.
When you use a personal VPN, we can’t tell it’s you — access denied.
You may only be locked out the first time you use a personal VPN. Our detection and response lockdown solution can learn and recognize legitimate usage patterns over time.
This means that after the initial lockout, your account may be able to use a specific without triggering further security measures.
3. New Phone Purchase Without Registering (Opt-In Service)
For clients who have opted into enhanced security measures, purchasing a new phone without registering it with your organization will result in losing access to your M365 cloud data. This is because an unregistered device attempting to access your account raises security concerns.
Registering your new phone helps us ensure that your account is not being accessed by an unauthorized device. If your organization has not opted in to this service, this may not apply to you.
Registering your phone doesn’t mean your organization has full access control over it, but it does allow us to keep your organization’s data secure. Once the phone is registered, it’ll be deemed a safe device to access company data.
While these security policies might be frustrating when you’re trying to gain access to your M365 cloud data, remember it’s all in the interest of keeping your data and your organization’s data safe and secure.
Communicating your travel plans, registering new devices and avoiding personal VPN use when accessing company data are the best ways to ensure uninterrupted access.
Stay Secure With Our M365 Access Solutions
Enhance your remote work security and ensure seamless access to your M365 data with our tailored solutions. Contact us here to learn how we can help secure your sensitive data.
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