Swinerton Disabled ActiveSync Email Syncing
On March 15th, Swinerton’s Business Technology Group (BTech) disabled Microsoft ActiveSync access to our email systems. Several hundred staff members were affected and contacted in separate follow-up communications.
What Happens If I Do Not Make The Change?
Your mobile device will cease to receive emails. Outlook mobile app is the recommended replacement.
- Please follow these instructions to install Outlook mobile app on Apple iPhones and iPads.
- Please follow these instructions to install Outlook mobile app on Android phones and tablets.
- Should your contacts not automatically populate, please follow these instructions.
What Is ActiveSync?
ActiveSync is a legacy protocol used to synchronize messaging and calendaring data on desktop and mobile devices.
Why Does It Need To Be Disabled?
ActiveSync is an outdated protocol that does not support multi-factor authentication (MFA). This means that should a Swinerton employee’s account get compromised, the credentials obtained could be used to credential into that same employee’s mailbox without the extra protection of MFA. BTech is preparing to deploy MFA to more access points within the Swinerton network.
Will I Be Affected By This Change?
If you receive a separate communication from BTech team then you are one of the employees who will need to update your mobile device to use the newer, modern-based authentication methods. Self-help resources will be linked in these communications along with affected users having access to BTech Service Desk.
How Will I Get My Email On My Phone Now?
Most phones these days support the newer, more secure protocol called Modern Authentication. The native iPhone or Android mail apps have built-in capabilities to support Modern Authentication (with the right updates); however, we do strongly recommend using the Outlook mobile app to future proof your phone
Taking this step to disable Microsoft ActiveSync will secure Swinerton’s infrastructure by further reducing the risk of bad actors gaining access to our environment.
Should you have any additional questions about this change, please contact Information Security Manager Dexter Cheng at dcheng@swinerton.com.
iOS Account Removal and Setup
__________
Introduction
Step-by-step instructions for removing your Swinerton email account from an iOS/iPadOS device, and setting it back up in the Outlook mobile app.
PLEASE BE AWARE – Removing this account will also remove all associated contacts from your mobile phone. To restore these to the local Contacts app on your device, after following the steps below, please see this guide: Outlook Mobile – Recover Exchange Contacts
__________
Steps
1. Quickly double-tap the Home button to bring up multi-tasking on your iOS device, swipe away all open apps to completely close them out
2. Go to Settings > Mail ( or Settings > Passwords & Accounts on older devices )
3. Tap Accounts
4. Tap the Exchange (Swinerton) account in the list
5. Tap Delete Account, then Delete on the next prompt (this will completely remove your Swinerton account from the built-in Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and Reminders apps)
The Microsoft Outlook app is recommended for use on your mobile devices. It integrates your Swinerton email, calendars, to-dos, and global address list in one location. You can download it from the App Store here: Microsoft Outlook
For access to your saved notes, you will need to install the Microsoft Office app from the App Store here: Microsoft Office
6. Install the Outlook app via the App Store on your device, then open it
7. Tap Get Started
8. Enter your full email address, then tap Continue
9. Enter your Swinerton login password, then tap Sign In
Android Account Removal and Setup
__________
Introduction
Step-by-step instructions for removing your Swinerton email account from an Android device, and setting it back up in the Outlook mobile app.
PLEASE BE AWARE – Removing this account will also remove all associated contacts from your mobile phone. To restore these to the local Contacts app on your device, after following the steps below, please see this guide: Restore Contact Information
__________
Steps
1. Tap the multitasking button on Android’s navigation bar (or swipe half-way up the screen), tap Close All or swipe away all open windows to completely close any open apps
2. Open the App Drawer and find your Settings app
3. Go to Accounts (or similar) and find your Swinerton email address setup as Microsoft Exchange/Exchange ActiveSync
4. Select the account and tap Remove/Delete Account
The Microsoft Outlook app is recommended for use on your mobile devices. It integrates your Swinerton email, calendars, to-dos, and global address list in one location. You can download it from the Google Play Store here: Microsoft Outlook
For access to your saved notes, you’ll need to install the Microsoft Office app from the Google Play Store here: Microsoft Office
5. Install the Outlook app via the Play Store on your device, then open it
6. Tap Get Started
7. Enter your full email address, then tap Continue
8. Enter your Swinerton login password, then tap Sign In
Recover Contact Information
__________
Introduction
Step-by-step instructions for recovering contact information that was removed from your iOS or Android device when deleting your Swinerton Exchange account.
The information has not been lost and is still stored on the server. These instructions will copy the information back into the local Contacts app to re-associate with text messages, call history, etc.
__________
Steps
1. Open the Outlook mobile app
2. Tap on the mailbox icon in the top, left-hand corner
4. Tap on the Settings icon in the lower, left-hand corner
5. In Settings look for Office 365 – Swinerton under Mail Accounts, tap on it
6. Under the Account Settings section turn on the Save Contacts (iOS) or Sync Contacts (Android) option
This will begin the process of copying all of your added contacts from Exchange back into your local Contacts app. Depending on the number of contacts you added, this process may take some time.
