Chicago IT Support & Cyber Security | Forward Technologies
Chicago-based Forward Technologies delivers IT support and cyber security to businesses in the Chicago area and nationwide.
For years, the security advice was simple: turn on multifactor authentication.
IT people repeated it endlessly. Microsoft pushed it. Insurance companies started requiring it. Cybersecurity audits looked for it. Eventually, most businesses got the message.
Users learned the routine. Enter the password. Wait for the text message. Type in the 6-digit code. Get back to work.
Now Microsoft is changing all of that. [Read more…]
Microsoft is retiring the email passcode system long used to grant temporary access to shared files in SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business. The company plans to replace it with Microsoft Entra B2B guest accounts, shifting external collaboration toward a fully identity-based model across Microsoft 365.
The change affects both commercial and government cloud environments. Beginning in May 2026, new external sharing invitations will start using Entra B2B instead of the existing one-time passcode system. The transition will accelerate through the summer, with the older authentication method beginning its shutdown in July and disappearing completely by the end of August 2026. [Read more…]
Microsoft is expanding passwordless security across Windows by introducing passkey authentication through Microsoft Entra. The new capability allows users to sign in to Entra-protected resources using Windows Hello instead of traditional passwords, adding stronger resistance against phishing attacks and credential theft.
The feature will roll out as an opt-in public preview starting in mid-March 2026 and continuing through late April for global Microsoft 365 tenants. Government cloud environments will receive the preview shortly after, with deployments scheduled between mid-April and mid-May. Once enabled, the update allows organizations to adopt passkeys as an authentication method on Windows devices. [Read more…]
