Using Modern Authentication with Skype and Exchange Server

• Modern authentication is Microsoft’s updated authentication implementation, offering improved security over basic authentication.
• Recent versions of Skype for Business and Exchange Server can use modern authentication for hybrid deployments.
• Modern authentication could lead to additional licensing costs and configuration complexity, depending on which features are used.

Modern authentication provides improved security over previous Microsoft authentication technologies, but it has previously been available only for Microsoft hosted services. Hybrid modern authentication can provide modern authentication features for users of Exchange Server and Skype for Business Server on-premises, but it still requires an investment in Office 365, and it will require additional licensing to take advantage of all the available features.

Modern Authentication for On-Premises Users

In Dec. 2017, Microsoft announced general availability of hybrid modern authentication (HMA) for Skype for Business Server and Exchange Server.