MS Teams moving to OAuth 2.0..

Microsoft has released the Microsoft Teams Rooms, app version 4.4.41.0, on the Microsoft Store and it will deliver new features to all Microsoft Teams Room over the next few weeks. 

The key update – in Microsoft Teams Rooms, app version 4.4.41.0 – is support for modern authentication. This is related to recently announced upcoming changes affecting Exchange Online, which will remove ‘Basic Authentication’ as an option and affects Exchange clients like Microsoft Teams Rooms.  

Exchange Online currently uses Basic Authentication as the default, which means client apps send a username and password across the network with every request. 

While it is simple to set up, it exposes credentials to attackers capturing them on the network and using them on other devices. Basic Authentication is also an obstacle to adopting multi-factor authentication in Exchange Online, said Microsoft. 

Microsoft  intend to Turnoff basic auth  in Exchange Online for Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), POP, IMAP and Remote PowerShell on October 13, 2020. It’s encouraging customers to use the OAuth 2.0 taken-based ‘Modern Authentication’.      

After installing the Teams Room update, admins will be able to configure the product to use Modern Authentication to connect to Exchange, Teams, and Skype for Business services. This move reduces the need to send actual passwords over the network by using OAuth 2.0 tokens provided b Azure Active directory.

While the change is optional until October 13, Microsoft suggests login problems could arise after the cut-off date for Microsoft Teams Rooms configured with basic authentication. 

“Modern authentication support for Microsoft Teams Rooms will help ensure business continuity for your devices connecting to Exchange Online,” .