Connect Application - Setting Up User Authentication

Customers currently using the Connect Application are advised to complete their onboarding setup as soon as possible, as the Connect Application is scheduled to be discontinued on the 31st of January, 2024.

This article provides information on setting up user authentication in the Mimecast Connect Application, including options for Microsoft 365, On-Premise/Hybrid, Google Workspace, and Mimecast Cloud Authentication to ensure secure user access.

If you are not using the Connect Application, see Authentication - Authentication Guides.

Setting Up User Authentication

All users must authenticate their logons when they use our applications. There are different methods by which they can do this, depending on the type of Microsoft Exchange you are using.

Before setting up your user authentication, the Connect Application - Validating Domains task must be completed.

You can set up user authentication, by using the following steps:

1. Log in to the Connect Application.
2. Navigate to Platform | Set Up User Authentication.
3. Depending on the synchronization method you want to use, click either the:

• • Start button in the section for your Microsoft Exchange type (i.e., Microsoft 365 / On-Premise / Hybrid / Google Workspace).
  • Use Cloud Authentication Only button if you prefer to authenticate with the Mimecast Cloud.

4. Follow the instructions listed in the relevant sections below.

Microsoft 365

If you are using Microsoft 365, you can use Microsoft 365 EWS as your authentication provider. This offers the following benefits:

• Administrators and end users use their primary email address and familiar domain password to log on to Mimecast.
• All password complexity and expiry policies are maintained centrally in Microsoft 365, reducing the administrative overhead of managing these across multiple platforms.

To configure Microsoft 365 EWS as your authentication provider, complete the Domain Authentication Test dialog by:

1. Entering your Microsoft 365 Domain Email address and Domain Password in the required fields.
2. Click on the Test Authentication button. A message is displayed if authentication is successful.
3. Click Enable. A summary page displays the following notification to confirm the configuration:

On-Premise / Hybrid / Hosted Exchange / Google Workspace

If you are using either an On-Premise, Hybrid, Hosted, or Google Workspace exchange, you can use one of the following authentication providers:

• Connect Application - Microsoft Exchange - Setup SMTP Connector

If you used LDAP to synchronize Google Workspace Active Directory, you can use it to authenticate your users. Cloud authentication is also enabled for Google Workspace as a backup method.

• Authentication Profiles - AD FS Authentication
• Exchange Web Services (EWS)

Cloud Authentication

You can use Mimecast's Cloud Authentication only by selecting this option. This offers the following benefits:

• Your organization can manage and use specific Mimecast passwords when accessing our applications.
• Administrators can control and define password complexity and expiration in the Mimecast Administration Console.
• An Authentication Profile can be configured to apply specific application settings to groups of users.

To configure cloud authentication as your authentication provider:

1. Set cloud passwords via the Connect Application - Adding Users Manually or the Mimecast Administration Console. See the Enabling Mimecast Cloud Authentication page for further information.
2. When ready, click the Use Cloud Authentication Only button in the Connect Application. A summary page is displayed with the following notification to confirm the configuration: