Microsoft wants you to-ditch your password. For good, this time.
The company announced in a blog post on September 15 that it’ll give users the option to access their accounts without using any password.
Users can choose from downloading Microsoft Authenticator app; a security key; a verification code would be sent to your phone or secondary email address; or Windows Hello, a biometric option that involves scanning your face, iris or fingerprint.
With Authenticator app, for instance, users get notified on their smartphone during a login attempt & receive a prompt confirming their identity.
Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice-president for security, compliance & identity at Microsoft, said in the blog post that the new option tackles two problems: complex passwords people cannot remember and passwords that don’t offer enough security because they’re too simple.
“Nobody likes passwords. They are inconvenient,” Jakkal wrote. “They are a prime target for attacks. Yet for years they have been the most important layer of security for everything in our digital lives from email to bank accounts, shopping carts to video games.”
The feature will be rolled-out in the coming weeks.
Jakkal said, there are 579 password attacks every second, which amounts to nearly 18 billion annually; one reason that occurs is that internet users tend to make basic passwords.
According to security firm NordPass, “123456” was the most-commonly used password in 2020, followed-by “123456789.”
Several apps have stepped-forward to help users manage their passwords, including NordPass, 1Password & LastPass.
To bolster your password security without a manager app, NordPass advises, creating passwords for every account and using a mixture of upper- & lower case letters, numbers & symbols to form them tougher to crack.
