Preparing to Use the EXO V2 Module for Unattended Scripts with App-Only Modern Authentication

Before diving into the walkthrough instructions, make sure you have the necessary requirements in place. This article assumes that you are using a non-production/dev tenant for testing and have access to an Office 365 tenant with Global Admin permissions.

The majority of this article will be focused on PowerShell commands, so don't expect many click-and-point instructions.

To begin, use the app and certificate to authenticate and connect to Exchange Online PowerShell. This includes generating and uploading a self-signed certificate, as well as registering a new app in Azure Active Directory and enabling its service principal.

This article will guide you through the process of preparing to use the EXO V2 module to run Exchange Online unattended scripts with app-only modern authentication. The new version of this module allows for certificate-based authentication associated with an Azure AD app, which is a significant improvement over previous solutions.

One of the key benefits of the EXO V2 module is its ability to authenticate securely without requiring a service account for multi-factor authentication in Office 365. Additionally, it allows for modern authentication while still enabling unattended scripts to run.

As an Office 365 administrator, you may be using PowerShell scripts to perform various automation tasks. However, with Microsoft's plan to remove basic authentication for Exchange Online on October 13, 2020 (later moved to the second half of 2021), it is essential to redesign your scripts to accommodate app-only modern authentication.

In this article, we will explore how to prepare for these changes and ensure that your PowerShell scripts are secure and compliant with the new authentication requirements.

Exchange online v2 module