This process is called authentication. This affects you because we are getting rid of this security vulnerability, and you may need to change your email software.
What’s happening behind the scenes:
Basic/legacy authentication shows your username and password to an application when they try to login on your behalf to an application. Most comprised login attempts use basic authentication.
More securely, modern authentication sends a special code which avoids displaying your username and password to applications.
With the change Microsoft is making, email software that uses basic authentication will no longer be able to access uOttawa emails. Only modern authentication will be permitted. Since the University’s emails are stored on Microsoft servers in the cloud, everyone needs to use email software that has modern authentication.
How to know if you need to update your email software:
Examples of email clients that use modern authentication are:
- built-in mail app for iOS 11.3.1 and more recent
- mail app for macOS Mojave 10.14 and more recent
- Gmail app for Android
- Mozilla Thunderbird 78 and more recent for all platforms
| Devices | Email app |
|---|---|
| iPhones, iPads running iOs 9.0 and above |
|
| Android devices running Lollipop/5.0 and above |
|
| Mac computers running OS 10.11/El Capitan and above |
|
| PC running Windows 7 and above |
|
Not seeing your email app?
Set up a new email account in your app. It will list email providers.
If it includes Microsoft or Office 365, your app uses modern authentication.
Select Microsoft or Office 365 as your email provider.
Is that it?
Not quite. Two conditions need to be met.
- You need to have an email software that has modern authentication.
- If your email software does have modern authentication, your account must be configured to use modern authentication. This is important since some email software can do basic and modern authentication.
You’ve checked and your client is listed as having modern authentication. However, if you added your account some time ago, it likely is using basic authentication. To ensure your account is set up to use modern authentication, remove your account from your device and re-add it.
Mail app (macOS)
Follow the instructions on Remove an Email Account to remove your uOttawa email account from the Mail app on macOS. Use the option to stop using the account in all apps. Once removed, re-add your account using the steps in Add an email account. Select Exchange (or Microsoft Exchange) when prompted, enter your uOttawa email address, and select Sign In.
Mail app (iOS)
Follow the instructions on Remove your email account and set it up again (at the bottom of the article) to remove your uOttawa email account from the Mail app on iOS. Once removed, re-add your account using the steps in Add an email account to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Use the automatic option, select Exchange (or Microsoft Exchange) when prompted, enter your uOttawa email address, and select Sign In.
Gmail app (Android)
Follow the instructions on Remove an account to remove your uOttawa email account from the Gmail app on Android. Once removed, re-add your account using the steps in Add an account. Select Exchange and Office 365 when prompted, enter your uOttawa email address, and select Next.
Not sure what to do or want help?
Contact the Service Desk immediately before access to your uOttawa email is interrupted. You can also contact the IT team in your faculty/service.