Across the globe Microsoft, and the email industry, are making older email methods, which are typically more vulnerable to security breaches, more secure. POP email - first created in the 1980’s – on which our btconnect.com (Business Email Lite powered by Microsoft 365) email platform is based, will see the basic authentication method of accessing mailboxes replaced by modern authentication.
Email clients will no longer be supported
You might need to change the way that you access your mailbox.
Why is this change happening?
Microsoft are improving the security of POP email, by disabling an outdated method of logging into a mailbox – basic authentication (often referred to as basic auth).
Basic auth, commonly used by email clients, is old and relatively simple for those with the knowhow, to hack. So it's being upgraded to modern authentication.
What is an email client?
An email client is, in simplest terms, a computer program used to read and send emails. The email client downloads messages from an email server and uploads messages to be sent.
It'll typically connect to send/receive email at least once every minute – with the username and password sent each time. (For example Outlook and MacMail/AppleMail).
How can I access my btconnect.com mailbox?
Your btconnect.com email service, once the security is improved is becoming Outlook Web Access (OWA).
You can access your mailbox:
- At outlook.office.com (this is browser-based access).
- Via business.bt.com, My Account (which links to outlook.office.com).
- Using the Outlook Application on mobile devices.
I don't know my password
The username and password used to access your btconnect.com mailbox are the same as you use to login in to My Account.
I login to access my btconnect.com emails via My Account - Is this changing?
No, this is not changing, so you'll be able to continue to access your email this way.
My Account links to outlook.office.com – so you’re already using browser based email.
What is browser-based email? Is it like using an email client?
Outlook Web Access is a fantastic, easy and agile way to access email. It:
- Works from any (connected) PC or mobile device anywhere - never be without access to your mailbox again.
- Contains the most common and up to date mail client features – with the improved security of modern authentication.
- Looks and feels just like a mail client.
- Has easy to use junk filtering (block/whitelist senders and domains).
- Contains customisable themes to suit your style and mood.
Even allows you to:
- create sub folders
- save contacts
- add to calendars
- create and use email signatures
- setup mail forwarding
- create user groups
- activate out of office auto replies.
Not to mention signing in is really simple, and many common devices will remember your login details and sign in for you.
I no longer use my btconnect.com email service - what should I do?
If it’s not used, the most secure option of all for your mailbox is to delete it completely.
Why has the security only been improved on some of the mailboxes in my account?
We're improving your mailboxes in batches based on how the mailbox is used and accessed. Soon all of your mailboxes will use modern authentication only.
When will this take place?
We will be in touch via email, two weeks before basic authentication is switched off for your bt connect email service, then we’ll remind you with a week to go, and a final reminder will be sent the day before the improvement is made. All emails will be sent to the btconnect.com email addresses that are being improved.
Can I opt out of the security improvement?
No. There isn’t an option to retain basic authentication (and client access) with your btconnect.com email service.
Can I delay when the security improvement is made to my btconnect.com service?
No. It's not possible to delay this, we need to make sure that all users are notified and have basic authentication switched off before Microsoft closes its security improvement window. After that, any remaining mailboxes (globally) will have basic authentication removed without notice.
Multifactor authentication (MFA), what is it and when is it added?
Multifactor authentication (MFA) adds a layer of protection to the sign in process. When accessing accounts or apps, users provide additional identity verification, such as scanning a fingerprint or entering a code received by phone.
MFA is a default setting across many of Microsoft's email products and will be added to btconnect email later in the year - we'll contact you again before its added.
Get ahead and have improved email security straight away
You don’t need to wait for us to switch basic authentication off, you can start using browser-based email (outlook.office.com) and/or the Outlook mobile app (download from the Apple App store or Google Play) straight away. Remember that any clients you've set up will continue to use basic authentication to look for emails to send and receive, unless you disable them.
I want a more secure email straight away, how can I disable an email client?
You should disable your btconnect.com account from within your email client – it’s also possible that you could have more than one client (on a mobile phone, desktop/laptop PC for instance) connected to the same btconnect mailbox.
Remember that removing or deleting btconnect.com from your email client could cause your data to be lost, which might not be recoverable – so we recommend to disable from within the email client.
Here’s more help on how to remove your account from popular clients: