Authentication methods

Authentication methods are the ways users sign into Microsoft Entra ID and perform self-service password reset. System preferred multi-factor authentication (MFA) prompts users to sign in using the most secure method they registered. Administrators can enable system-preferred MFA to improve sign-in security and discourage less secure sign-in methods like SMS.

Using Cloud Commander, you can view and manage user authentication methods.

• View user authentication methods
• Reset authentication methods
• Revoke user sessions from Authentication Methods section

Cloud Commander imports the following authentication data from Microsoft Entra ID for each user:

• System authentication status - Indicates whether the user's system has the system preferred authentication method enabled or disabled. If enabled, the system dynamically determines the most secure authentication method among the user preferred authentication methods registered by the user. For more information, see the Microsoft documentation.

For example, if a user registered both SMS and Microsoft Authenticator authentication methods, when system preferred authentication is enabled, the user is prompted to sign in using the more secure method. The user can still choose to sign in using another method, but they're first prompted to try the most secure method they registered.

• System authentication preference - Indicates the authentication method that the system determined to be the most secure authentication method among the registered methods for second-factor authentication.

Possible methods are Temporary Access Pass, FIDO2 security key, Microsoft Authenticator notification, OATH hardware and software tokens, Time-based one-time password (TOTP), Telephone (SMS and voice calls), Certificate-based authentication.

• User authentication preference - The method the user selected as the default second-factor authentication for performing MFA. This preference is used as the preferred MFA method when system-preferred MFA is disabled. The authentication methods include:

  API value	Cloud Commander displays
  push	Microsoft Authenticator
  oath	OATH tokens
  voicemobile, voicealternatemobile, voiceoffice	Voice call
  sms	SMS

Related articles

• View user authentication methods
• Reset authentication methods
• Revoke user sessions from Authentication Methods section

Updated: Mar 28, 2024