How the Future Look Like With Microsoft Passwordless Technologies

Nobody likes passwords. They are inconvenient and challenging to manage, and you have to keep track of passwords for various apps and accounts. Don’t forget they are also a prime target for most online attacks.

Everybody knows such issues, but passwords that have prevailed over the years are often the essential security layer of everything digital people use. You get them in emails, bank accounts, video games, and shopping carts.

Still, everyone is required to have complex passwords that are impossible to guess. They have to memorize these passwords and also change them frequently for security reasons. Nobody likes that, and very few try to change their password regularly. Do you have an alternative? Let’s find out!

Microsoft Passwordless Authentication

Users use Passwordless Authentication to gain access to applications for IT systems without passwords or to answer security questions. Instead of the regular password, the user will provide other evidence like a fingerprint, hardware token code, or a proximity badge.

The authentication works with single sign-on and multi-factor authentication (MFA) solutions to help with a better user experience. It reduces IT operations costs and strengthens security while reducing complexities.

Microsoft, for the past few years, has been reporting on a passwordless future. The future came fast, and in March 2021, they announced a sign-in available for commercial users. The features work for all organizations worldwide.

Therefore, users can now remove passwords from their Microsoft accounts entirely. You can use the Microsoft Authenticator app, security key, Windows Hello, or a verification code sent to a phone or email, sign in to all accounts, and favorite apps such as Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Family Safety, and others.

The Problem with Passwords

Most digital workers have to use various applications to perform most of their tasks. Most people are overwhelmed by password sprawl. They take risky shortcuts by using a similar password, weak password, posting a password, repeating a password, or posting a password on sticky notes.

Most attacks occur due to weak passwords for most enterprise and consumer accounts. In the current technological era, a whopping 579 password attacks are resulting in 18 billion a year.

Passwords are highly vulnerable due to the following two big reasons:

Human Nature

Nowadays, people can get access to auto-generated passwords that are almost nearly impossible to remember. You have to write them down to use them next. Therefore, as a human being, you can create such passwords if you want to start something you can remember without writing.

Creating passwords that are secure and memorable is a challenge. They are incredibly inconvenient to remember, create and manage across the various accounts you may have. Furthermore, forgetting passwords is also painful. Many people who forget passwords may have to stop using their accounts rather than dealing with the sophisticated process of recovering lost passwords.

To solve these problems, people often make things easier. They rely on known and personal words and phrases. According to a BBC report, millions of people use pets’ names for inspiration. Others use family names and dates like birthdays. Others admit to using passwords across various sites, while others apply a formula to create the password, such as adding the year to names and seasons.

Hacker Nature

Hackers rely on guessing a password. When you create simple passwords, chances are, they are also easy to guess. By looking at your social media accounts, the hacker can have a head start to log in to your accounts. When they compromise the password and email combination, they sell such information on the dark web for use in other attacks.

Hackers use various tools and techniques that automatically spray passwords and try multiple possibilities until they meet the match. They can also use phishing tricks and push targets to input information into fake websites. The tactics are always relatively unsophisticated but still manage to get into many people’s accounts.

Passwordless Authentication Reduces Risk and Improves User Satisfaction

With the new Microsoft passwordless security, you eliminate risky password management practices while reducing attack vectors. The ease of logging into apps and accounts also improves the user experience, eliminating passwords and secret fatigue. You don’t have to memorize any passwords or remember security questions anymore.

Benefits of Microsoft Passwordless Authentication

Users enjoy a variety of functions and benefits, such as:

Boosted user experience: Eliminating passwords and secret fatigue provides unified access to services and applications.
Increased security: It eliminates the need for risky password management methods and helps to reduce theft of credentials that leads to impersonation.
Simplifies IT operations: It eliminates the need to secure, reset, rotate, and manage passwords.

How to Start Your Passwordless Today in A Few Clicks

Use these steps to go passwordless in a few clicks.

Step 1: Install the Microsoft Authenticator app and link it to your account.
Step 2: Go to your Microsoft account, sign in, and click on Advanced Security Options.
Step 3: In the next window, under Additional Security Option, look for Passwordless Account and click Turn on.

When you turn on the passwordless account, you will get a prompt screen with approval on the Authenticator app. Once it gets approved, you are free from all Microsoft passwords.

However, Microsoft allows you to return to your preferred passwords by adding them back to your account. However, it is not common to find anyone who will ever wish to go back to using passwords.

Wrapping Up

All the security offered by Microsoft comes with your privacy in mind. The underlying technology will help ensure that neither Microsoft nor other third parties can monitor your passwords.

To live without a password is better than managing passwords. Using passwordless authentication with all your Microsoft apps and services helps keep you, your family, and your business safe in the digital world.

Tektonic helps businesses make the transition to starting optimizing their security. They support all Microsoft products you may need to ensure your security is optimal to prevent being a victim of the increased data breaches experienced in the world. The experts help you manage all the IT services and ensure you get value for your money. Contact us Today to get started.