Originally posted December 8, 2021

On Wednesday, January 12, 2022, starting at 5 p.m., UMass Amherst Information Technology (IT) will introduce new security updates for accessing university email services (Microsoft 365 and Gmail) and decommission legacy authentication methods (how users log in). It may take up to 24 hours for changes to take effect. 

Part of UMass Amherst’s strategic information security roadmap, these updates are necessary to strengthen the campus infrastructure and protect personal and university data against cyber-security threats. They are aligned with plans from Google, Microsoft, and other major vendors to require more secure protocols that support two-step login.

Impact on the Campus Community

Starting January 12, 2022, faculty, staff, and students can access their university email only via applications that support modern authentication. Most members of the campus community will not notice any impact related to these changes. Most devices, as well as current versions of mobile applications, are already configured to use modern login protocols. In some cases, you may need to delete and re-add your email account profile to connect to your university email. Remove and re-add your Microsoft 365 email account 

More about Modern Authentication Migration

 

UMass Amherst IT recommends:

• Microsoft email users: Use the latest version of Outlook on desktop and mobile (recommended over the mail app on your mobile device) or Outlook on the Web.
• Gmail email users: Use the Gmail app on mobile devices and Gmail web interface on desktop.

For questions and support, contact the IT professional in your area or IT User Services at it@umass.edu or 413-545-9400.