The MFA Shortcut That Could Sink Your Security (and What to Do Instead)

Sometimes shortcuts will just cost you time in the long run.

Story Time

An employee calls the helpdesk again with a familiar problem: they lost their MFA token.
They need to re-register quickly because they are supporting an executive presentation to the board. They need access now.

So what do you do?

Tired

A quick but risky fix is to remove the user from Conditional Access (CA) policies that enforce MFA. You might add them to a temporary exception group or manually disable the policy for their account.

While this solves the problem immediately, it also leaves the account unprotected for as long as that exception remains in place.

And what happens when the administrator forgets to restore MFA enforcement?

• Best case: It is caught during an internal review.

• Next best: It surfaces during an audit.

• Worst case: A threat actor takes advantage of the gap.

This is a common support pattern that quietly introduces long-term security risks.

Wired

Now let’s look at a better way.

Same situation, same urgency, but instead of removing MFA enforcement, you issue a Temporary Access Pass (TAP). No policy changes, no exception groups.

You generate a time-limited access code with strict controls. The user can authenticate and continue their work without permanently lowering your security posture. Later, they can re-register their MFA under normal conditions.

Problem solved, security intact.

Temporary Access Pass FTW

In Microsoft Entra ID, administrators can issue a Temporary Access Pass as a secure, time-bound method of authentication. It is useful for scenarios like:

• Onboarding new users

• Recovering lost authentication devices

• Supporting emergency access without disabling MFA

When implemented correctly and paired with clear human processes, TAPs eliminate the need for long-lived exceptions that weaken an organization’s security.

Issuance

Issuing a Temporary Access Pass is straightforward and can be tested without disrupting a user’s existing authentication methods.

Steps

1. Sign in to portal.azure.com with an administrative account.

2. Navigate to Users.

3. Search for and open the user’s account.

4. In the left-hand navigation, select Authentication Methods.

5. In the top-left corner, choose Add authentication method.

6. In the right-hand flyout, select Temporary Access Pass from the Choose Method dropdown.

7. Configure the settings (see below).

8. Select Add at the bottom of the flyout.

9. Copy and share the generated passcode with the user.

Configuration

Global Policy Controls

| Control              | Values                | Recommendation |
|----------------------|-----------------------|----------------|
| Enabled              | Enabled or Disabled   | Enabled        |
| Minimum Lifetime     | 10 minutes to 30 days | 10 minutes     |
| Maximum Lifetime     | 10 minutes to 30 days | 1 day          |
| Default Lifetime     | 10 minutes to 30 days | 1 hour         |
| Length               | 8 to 48               | 8 characters   |
| Require one-time use | Enabled or Disabled   | Enabled        |

The one-time use setting is critical. It prevents replay attacks by ensuring the pass can only be used once. If you allow administrators to override this setting, make sure they are properly trained on when and how to do so.

To modify the global policy:
Go to Portal > Microsoft Entra ID > Security > Authentication Methods > Temporary Access Pass > Configure.

Per Issuance Controls

At issuance, administrators can adjust two values based on the global policy:

| Control      | Values                                            |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Lifetime     | Global Policy Minimum to Global Policy Maximum    |
| One-time use | toggle enabled or disabled based on Global Policy |

These adjustments allow flexibility for different support or onboarding situations while maintaining consistent boundaries.

Troubleshooting

Converged Policy Issue

If you receive an error indicating that Temporary Access Passes are not enabled in your organization, follow these steps to activate them:

1. Sign in to portal.azure.com.

2. Open Microsoft Entra ID.

3. In the left navigation, select Security.

4. Under Security, choose Authentication Methods.

5. Select Temporary Access Pass.

6. Toggle Enable to On.

7. Try issuing the pass again.

Conclusion

Temporary Access Passes solve a long-standing support challenge: how to help users regain access quickly without compromising security.

They remove the need for risky MFA exceptions and eliminate the human error of forgetting to reapply policies. When configured correctly, TAPs maintain compliance, streamline support, and keep both users and administrators secure.

If you have not already adopted Temporary Access Passes in your organization, it is time to test and deploy them. Your helpdesk (and your security team) will thank you.