Securing your VSU Email

Beginning December 2, 2022, your email client must use MODERN AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOL to access your VSU Microsoft 365 email account. If not, you will not be able to access your VSU email. This change will not be noticeable by most but will impact those who set up their email accounts using Basic Authentication protocols on their mobile devices or on PC/Mac computers using older email applications.

If you use a web browser to check your VSU email through the MyVSU Portal, you do not need to do anything.

VSU-issued devices will be maintained by the Division of Information Technology.

The Old: Basic authentication, a once common but less secure email protocol, will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Basic authentication means the application sends a username and password with every request, and those credentials can sometimes be stored on the connecting server. This makes it easier for attackers to capture your credentials. Examples of basic authentication protocols are IMAP, POP, EAS, and MAPI.

Valdosta State University already uses Modern Authentication.

The New: Microsoft, Apple, and Google have updated their applications and operating systems to support modern authentication methods when checking email, a far more secure method that can incorporate multi-factor authentication. Examples of applications that use modern authentication are Windows and Mac Outlook 2016 or later, Outlook mobile app, Outlook web (via MyVSU), and even Apple Mail and Android Gmail Apps when using updated operating systems.

Those impacted are Valdosta State University users who are using an outdated email application on their computer or mobile device or set up their email account using basic authentication protocols. Reference the List of Unsupported Applications and Operating Systems.

IMPORTANT: You will not be able to access your VSU email if your mail client does not use Modern Authentication protocol.

You can always check your VSU email by using a web browser & logging in to your MyVSU portal.

Retirees/Alumni: If you receive an authorization error when accessing the MyVSU portal, please use the Office 365 webmail direct link: https://office.valdosta.edu

What to do if your email method currently uses Basic Authentication

To avoid not being able to access your VSU email, you may need to update to a supported operating system and client version, install Outlook, or log in to MyVSU via the web if you are currently using one of the following unsupported applications or operating systems on your personal devices.

If you need help, please contact VSU Solutions Center.

Unsupported Applications and Operating Systems

Outlook 2013, 2010, 2008, or 2007 for PC and Mac computers will not work.

You should upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft 365 or install Office 2016 or newer.

At no charge, active Valdosta State University students and employees can install the latest Microsoft Office 365 Suite of applications on up to five (5) personal computers (PC/Mac); and up to five (5) personal mobile devices.

Alumni and Retirees: As of October 25, 2020, Valdosta State University current and future alumni and retirees can no longer install VSU's Microsoft Office 365 desktop applications on personal devices. However, until further notice, you can still access Office 365 Email, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, and Office Online web applications through the MyVSU portal or the Office 365 webmail direct link.

-You can always check your VSU email by using a web browser & logging in to your MyVSU portal.
-Retirees/Alumni may need to use the Office 365 webmail direct link.

The built-in Mail and Calendar apps that came with Mac 10.13 or older will not work. 

You should upgrade your Mac OS, or you can switch to using Outlook for Mac.

-You can always check your VSU email by using a web browser & logging in to your MyVSU portal.
-Retirees/Alumni may need to use the Office 365 webmail direct link.

iOS 10 and earlier versions do not support Microsoft’s new method for logging in nor the use of the Microsoft Outlook app that requires iOS 13 or higher.

You will need to access VSU email through your mobile device's web browser (ex: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and log in to your MyVSU portal. Retirees/Alumni may need to use the Office 365 webmail direct link.

Android devices' built-in Mail and Calendar apps do not support Microsoft’s new modern authenticaton method for logging in. 

You should install Outlook for Android mobile app and login with your VSU email account.

-You can always check your VSU email by using a web browser & logging in to your MyVSU portal.
-Retirees/Alumni may need to use the Office 365 webmail direct link.

Email applications that use Basic Authentication in combination with POP, IMAP, Exchange Web Services (EWS), Exchange ActiveSync (EAS), MAPI, or RPC will stop working. 

To avoid service disruption, you should install the latest version of Microsoft 365 or Outlook 2016 or newer. On mobile devices, download the Outlook Mobile App for iOS and Android devices.

  • NOTE: Many POP clients delete messages from the server once they have been downloaded to your computer. To avoid losing saved messages, make sure you have backed up your locally stored messages before uninstalling your old email client.

-You can always check your VSU email by using a web browser & logging in to your MyVSU portal.
-Retirees/Alumni may need to use the Office 365 webmail direct link.

Here's what does work

  • Microsoft Office 2016 or higher for Windows or macOS
  • macOS native mail client on systems running macOS 10.14+ (Mojave) or newer
    (Note: macOS 10.14 is no longer supported by Valdosta State University or Apple but will technically work with modern authentatication. Before upgrading, you may want to review system checks to ensure a smooth macOS upgrade.)
  • Use of a modern, up-to-date web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge for web-based access to email and Office 365

 

  • Latest version of the Microsoft Outlook app from the iTunes or Google Play Store
  • iOS 13.0 or higher native mail client

Modern Authentication-Supported Email Clients

  • Outlook Web App-Webmail (OWA)
  • Outlook Mobile App for iOS and Android devices, and all mobile OS

  • Outlook 2016 or newer for both Windows and Mac computers

  • Office 365 latest version for Windows and Mac computers
    • At no charge, active Valdosta State University students and employees can install the latest Microsoft Office 365 Suite of applications on up to five (5) personal computers (PC/Mac); and up to five (5) personal mobile devices.

  • iOS 15.6/Monterey 12.0 or greater provides update for automatic migration from Basic to Modern Authentication. Current users of these versions should not have to do anything and will receive a Modern Authentication login prompt “MyVSU SSO Login” for access to email.

  • Apple Mail iOS 11 or newer

  • MacOS 10.14 or newer

  • iPadOS 13.1 or newer
  • Depending on how you originally set up your device, you may need to delete and re-add your email/calendar account profile to avoid service interruption.
    1. Open your Settings app
    2. Scroll down and click on Mail
    3. Click Accounts and select your VSU email (it will likely show as “Exchange”)
    4. After selecting your VSU email account, click Delete Account
    5. To re-add your account, click Add Account at the bottom of your list of email accounts
    6. Select Microsoft Exchange and type in your full VSU email (example: jsmith@valdosta.edu)
    7. Click Next and Sign In
    8. Sign into the MyVSU sign-in page that appears, and configure your account according to your preferences
    9. Now your account has been re-added and your VSU emails should appear as normal!

  • Outlook for Android mobile app
  • Gmail for Android mobile app
  • Thunderbird latest version for Windos, Mac, and Linux