The news are in Finnish but links to (often) English language reference material are provided.
First published on November 3, 2025.
More frequent authenticator prompts coming soon
Make sure you have your authenticator app and SMS authentication ready to use. To improve security, Metropolia will tighten the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Microsoft login services for students starting in early December 2025. As a result, the system will prompt you for an authenticator code significantly more often than before. Prepare now to avoid issues later.
Have you already enabled the Authenticator?
Enable the authenticator app now to ensure smooth login once the change takes place. This is important because, despite preparations, the IT Services support provided by Helpdesk may become congested at the beginning of December due to the change. Acting in advance and familiarizing yourself with the instructions ensures you won’t be among those needing help at that time.
Which services are affected by this change?
- Logging into Office 365 services.
- Logging into a few other services that use Microsoft’s login system.
Logging into GlobalProtect VPN has always required the authenticator for each login, so no changes will be made there.
OMA, email, Moodle, and several other services will, for now, still be accessible without multi-factor authentication—just with your username and password as before.
What is multi-factor authentication?
- In English: Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).
- When logging into your user account, you will be required to confirm your identity in addition to entering your password using an authenticator app installed on your phone. Enter the code provided by the service into the authenticator app to proceed.
- MFA effectively prevents account breaches via phishing and other methods.
- Read more on the website of the National Cyber Security Centre (see the “Instructions and more information” section below).
- Enable your authenticator app using the instructions provided on the IT Services website (see the link under “Instructions and more information”).
What should I do?
- Enable Microsoft Authenticator, SMS authentication, and optional alternative authenticator apps using the instructions provided on the IT Services website (link in the “Instructions and more information” section).
- Please note that according to the instructions, you must enable 1) SMS authentication and 2) the Microsoft Authenticator app. Additionally, we recommend enabling alternative authentication methods on your secondary devices.
- You don’t need to set up MFA separately for each service. It is enabled at once for all Metropolia services that support it.
- MFA will not be active until 1 December 2025, so enabling SMS and the authenticator app in advance is only preparation. It's smart to do this ahead of time to avoid login issues disrupting your studies at the start of December.
Can I log in if my phone gets lost?
- No, you won’t be able to log in unless you’ve prepared for this. Set up SMS authentication and alternative login methods in advance as instructed, so you can log in without your primary phone.
- Plan ahead for a situation where your phone is lost or damaged. More information about how to make a plan and resolve login issues can be found in another guide on the IT Services website.
My phone is too old to use Microsoft Authenticator. What should I do?
You can alternatively use another authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator. Instructions can be found in the list of guides below.
Instructions and more information
- Guide on the IT Services website: How do I enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for Microsoft 365?
- Guide on the IT Services website: Make a plan in case your phone is lost or broken: Multi-factor authentication prevents login to Microsoft 365. What should I do?
- Information on the benefits of multi-factor authentication on the National Cyber Security Centre’s website.
Best regards,
Helpdesk
In case of any inquiries related to this announcement or other IT matters at Metropolia, please contact the Helpdesk as follows:
Phone service: +358 9 7424 6777
Service requests: https://hd.metropolia.fi / helpdesk@metropolia.fi
Frequently Asked Questions: https://itservices.metropolia.fi/FAQ
Ask Mikko Anything (AMA): https://mikko.metropolia.fi
