Ensure modern authentication for SharePoint applications is required

HighLevel 1Manual reviewm365

Description

Modern authentication in Microsoft 365 enables authentication features like multifactor authentication (MFA) using smart cards, certificate-based authentication (CBA), and third-party SAML identity providers. Strong authentication controls, such as the use of multifactor authentication, may be circumvented if basic authentication is used by SharePoint applications. Requiring modern authentication for SharePoint applications ensures strong authentication mechanisms are used when establishing sessions between these applications, SharePoint, and connecting users.

How it is checked

Audit method: Manual review

This recommendation cannot be checked automatically. A scan lists it with these instructions when you pass --include-manual.

To audit using the UI: 1. Navigate to SharePoint admin center https://admin.microsoft.com/sharepoint. 2. Expand Policies and select Access control. 3. Select Apps that don't use modern authentication and ensure that it is set to Block access. To audit using PowerShell: 1. Connect to SharePoint Online using Connect-SPOService -Url https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com replacing tenant with your value. 2. Run the following SharePoint Online PowerShell command: Get-SPOTenant | ft LegacyAuthProtocolsEnabled 3. Verify that the returned value is False.

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

To remediate using the UI: 1. Navigate to SharePoint admin center https://admin.microsoft.com/sharepoint. 2. Expand Policies and select Access control. 3. Select Apps that don't use modern authentication. 4. Select the radio button for Block access. 5. Click Save. To remediate using PowerShell: 1. Connect to SharePoint Online using Connect-SPOService -Url https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com replacing tenant with your value. 2. Run the following SharePoint Online PowerShell command: Set-SPOTenant -LegacyAuthProtocolsEnabled $false

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: authm365saas
Reference: CIS Microsoft 365 Foundations Benchmark v7.0.0 - 7.2.1 Ensure modern authentication for SharePoint applications is required