Nonprofit Admin Guide to Enforcing MFA in Microsoft 365

MFA is a critical component of cloud services that helps keep your org safe. Admins can enable it for Microsoft 365 with ease using this guide.

To enable MFA, admins have two choices: Security Defaults vs. Conditional Access Policies.

For Nonprofits: Choose Security Defaults for simplicity and basic protection, ideal for smaller nonprofits. Opt for Conditional Access Policies for tailored security and precise control, suited for larger nonprofits with IT support.

Security Defaults

Security Defaults are enabled by default for all new organizations as of 2022. This automatically enforces multi-factor authentication for all users and ensures baseline security measures are in place. It's an efficient option for nonprofits seeking a simple and quick way to enhance their security posture.

• Pros: Quick setup, basic protection, simplicity.

• Cons: Limited customization, minimal controls, not for larger nonprofits.

• How to enable Security Defaults:

  • In the Entra ID portal, navigate Identity in the sidebar, then to the Properties tab.

  • From there, scroll to the bottom and select Manage Security Defaults.

  • Finally, choose Enabled and save.

Conditional Access Policies

Conditional Access Policies enable nonprofits to customize access controls based on factors like user location, device type, and sign-in risk. This advanced feature lets organizations require multi-factor authentication, restrict access, or enforce security measures selectively, providing tailored protection for different scenarios and user groups.

• Pros: Customized protection, detailed control, flexibility.

• Cons: Configuration effort, complexity, learning curve.

• How to enable:

  • Review the requirements you want to put in place.

  • Use this guide to deploy your own custom conditional access policies.