Microsoft to go passwordless, here is what you need to know
Passwords are annoying to remember and easy to attack. They have been the top layer of security for our digital lives for many years, including email, banking accounts, shopping carts, and video games.
While we’re expected to have unique passwords and be able to remember them and update them often, no one likes that. According to a Microsoft Twitter poll, one-fifth of respondents said that they would rather accidentally hit “reply to all” on an email thread than reset a password.
Microsoft has been stating for the past few years that the future will be passwordless. Today, they are thrilled to announce the next steps in that vision. We announced in March 2021 that passwordless sign-in was now available to commercial users. This will allow enterprise organizations all over the globe to take advantage of this feature.
You can now completely delete your Microsoft password. Microsoft Authenticator and Windows Hello are available to sign in to Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft OneDrive, or Microsoft Family Safety. This feature will be available over the next weeks.
Passwords that are weak or not strong enough to log in to consumer and enterprise accounts are the main entry point for most attacks. Every second, there are 579 password attacks. that’s 18 billion every year.
Why are passwords so sensitive? Two main reasons.
Human Charateristics
Except for passwords generated automatically, which can be difficult to remember, most people create their passwords. Passwords are increasingly becoming more and more vulnerable and the criteria for fulfilling passwords have gotten more complex complicated in recent times. These include complex symbols, numbers, case sensitivity, and disallowing old passwords. Although updates are common, creating passwords that are safe is not that simple. It can be difficult to remember and create passwords across all accounts.
Not remembering your password can cause you pain. Surprisingly, nearly a third (33%) of respondents said they stopped using an account service or account because they were unable to remember their password.
Microsoft is attempting to solve these problems by having simpler ways to remember passwords. We often rely heavily on personal and familiar words and phrases. A survey conducted by Microsoft found 15% percent of people using their pets’ names for passwords creation. Another common answer was to use family names or important dates like birthdays. We also found one in 10 people admitted using passwords between sites and forty percent admit they’ve used formula for their login passwords.
Hackers’ Mind
While these passwords are simpler to remember, hackers can also guess them. A glance at someone’s social media feed can give hackers a headstart on hacking into their accounts. After a password and email combination is compromised, it can be sold on the Dark Web for any number of attacks.
They can also use automated password-spraying to quickly try different options. They could use phishing techniques to trick you into entering your credentials onto a fake website. These tricks are fairly simple and have been around for decades. They still work because passwords can still easily be created by people.
Steps to activate the Passwordless Feature
First, install the Microsoft Authenticator app on your device. Linking your Microsoft account to it is the next step.
Next, log in to your Microsoft Account and select Advanced Security Options. Additional security options will show a Passwordless account. Select To turn on
Then, follow the prompts to confirm your approval from your Authenticator application. Once you’ve approved the notification, your password is no longer required.
If you feel the need to keep your password secret, you can add it back to your account. However, I hope you’ll give passwordless another chance. I don’t think you’ll want to return.
You may also be interested in
