Telesign is now listed on the Microsoft Security Store as a provider of SMS and voice verification for Microsoft Entra ID, giving organizations a way to keep phone-based multifactor authentication after Microsoft stops delivering those codes itself.
Microsoft-provided SMS and voice authentication will retire starting Feb. 1, 2027, for Entra ID workforce tenants, after which Microsoft will no longer offer SMS and voice as a native Entra capability. The change does not apply to Azure AD B2C or Microsoft Entra External ID customer identity scenarios. “SMS and voice are vulnerable to phishing and SIM-swap attacks,” Microsoft said, recommending passkeys while noting that organizations can retain SMS and voice by configuring a customer-managed telecom provider through the Microsoft Security Store.
Telesign’s solution integrates with Entra ID so that organizations can continue using SMS and voice-based authentication. It is available as a transactional offer that customers can buy directly through the Security Store and pay for through their existing Azure invoices. Telesign, a Proximus Global company, says it verifies more than five billion unique phone numbers a month.
Microsoft began rolling out passkeys as the default authentication experience for Entra ID in September. “As the rollout reaches each organization, users enabled for SMS or voice authentication will automatically be enabled for passkeys, and the next time they perform multifactor authentication, they’ll be prompted to register a passkey,” the company said.
Other options Microsoft lists for administrators include QR code authentication and FIDO2 security keys. In August, the company also retired SMS first-factor sign-in for Entra ID Free tenants, citing phishing, fraud and account compromise risks, and stopped enabling it for newly created tenants.
Telesign says most organizations are not yet prepared to move to passkeys and that adoption remains uneven because of varying infrastructure readiness and regional regulations. The company says businesses that want to keep traditional verification methods, or offer hybrid authentication choices, can move to its global network without disruption.
“Security continuity is key to our ecosystem,” said Ankur Patel, partner product manager for Microsoft Security. “Telesign’s integration with Entra ID gives customers access to verification options as their requirements evolve.”
Sources: Telesign, BleepingComputer
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
