Useless time delayed response, incompetent security

Question

I had 2fa fully working and I had 3 attempts blocked by myself. I logged in within 10 mins and changed my password. Nothing since. Your automatic security logged in 12 hours later and forced me to change my password again. What is the point of 2fa if when it works, your security can't check that the user hasn't already sorted the problem the previous evening without your help and is now utterly annoyed that you're worse than the attacker, forcing the user to repeat their actions the next day without checking in, and having to log in and hunt arount for 20 mins to even complain! How you became a worldwide company is beyond me. I give you 5 years. FYI I can't even select the correct product in your dropdown - HOTMAIL!!

Answer 1

Welcome Adam Rombach,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A. I understand why being prompted to secure the account again after you had already blocked the attempts and changed your password would be frustrating.

Two-step verification is intended to add another layer of protection to a personal Microsoft account. Microsoft explains that even if someone obtains the password, they should still be stopped if they cannot complete the second verification method. How to use two-step verification with your Microsoft account

Since you have already changed your password, I recommend checking the account's recent activity before making further changes:

• Sign in to https://account.live.com/Activity
• Review the recent sign-in entries and expand any activity you do not recognize.
• If an entry wasn't yours, select the available option to report or secure the account.

Regarding the additional security prompt occurring approximately 12 hours later, I don't want to speculate about the specific reason it was triggered because that information isn't visible to community users.

I hope this helps clarify the purpose of two-step verification and gives you a way to confirm whether the account is currently secure.