Outlook.com - When security doesn't work

[smakme7757]

I always enable 2 factor authentication on all my accounts. The last two days have had me kicking myself in the arse for doing it.

No matter how I try, I cannot get MS to send me the verification code I need to log into my account.

If I choose SMS verification, the SMS never arrives and if I choose email verification I get an error: "We couldn't send an email, try again."

I'm 100% locked out of my account and the only way to get it back is to lock my account for 30 days where they will send an unlock link to another email which i own which isn't connected to my Outlook.com account.

2 factor is great, if you actually get the 2nd factor to work properly.

 

[lxskllr]

I've never been really keen on two factor authorization as is typically practiced, and have avoided it so far. I'd like to see a system that reads a gpg key from a device, and prompts for a password, or something else where I control 100% of the process.

 

[smakme7757]

I've never been really keen on two factor authorization as is typically practiced, and have avoided it so far. I'd like to see a system that reads a gpg key from a device, and prompts for a password, or something else where I control 100% of the process.

Definately a better process. I suppose the best we can get at the moment is the Authenticator application, but even then you are still depending on something that changes and might stop working as intended.

 

[notposting]

Did you print off the emergency recovery code?

Do you have the Authenticator app installed on anything?

 

[smakme7757]

Did you print off the emergency recovery code?

Do you have the Authenticator app installed on anything?

I have those emergncy recovery codes for my Gmail account, but i never knew Outlook.com had such a thing. When i enabled 2 factor with Gmail it gave me those codes during setup, i don't remember Outlook.com ever giving me such codes.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/9/5192470/microsoft-accounts-security-features-update
Looking there is seems recovery codes are something new. I think they have butchered my account while updating their system, because now it's asking for a 7 digit code, i only used to get 4 digit codes.

I should have had the app, but i was confident that both Email and SMS authentication would cover enough bases to get me into my account.

I still can't get back in. A few days ago I sent a support request to Microsoft, but they have never gotten back to me.

Welll it seems it's possible to get my account back by locking it for 30 days and then they send me an email in febuary to open it again.

I just did it. I just have to remember to not log out of Skype or I'll never get back in agian.

 

[smakme7757]

I tried to log in again today and now i am getting codes again.

They are now 7 digits long instead of 4. I was also given a recovery code when i logged in. So my guess was right. I was temporarily locked out while they migrated to their new security system