As more and more of our lives move into the digital realm cybersecurity becomes an increasingly pressing issue. A misplaced password can see you lose pretty much everything these days. To put it simply, the stakes are getting higher, so we need to take online security more seriously. In days gone by you could take care by always ensuring you had a secure password but now the big tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Apple are promoting passwordless solutions.
In a blog post promoting World Password Day, Microsoft announced a partnership with the FIDO Alliance with the aim to accelerate the availability of passwordless sign-ins. The FIDO alliance is a broad open industry group, filled with big hitters like Amazon and Intel, that spans tech and is aiming to push the world away from what it calls an over-reliance on tech. You can learn more about the FIDO Alliance here. This new partnership, which also includes Apple and Google, marks a positive move away from passwords as there are now apps available that enable you to start replacing your account passwords with Two-Factor-Authentication solutions. Microsoft Authenticator is one such app.
Authenticator allows you to log into your Microsoft account without having to use a password at all. I’ve been using this solution for a while now and not only is it more secure, but it is also much more convenient. By using your phone as your second point of authentication you enable the use of its biometric devices to authenticate your identity. This means I can log in to Skype on my PC by scanning my face on my iPhone. It also means that my Microsoft account is extremely secure because it can only ever be accessed by somebody who is able to securely unlock my phone at that particular moment of access.
Microsoft has posted instructions for you to set yourself up with Microsoft Authenticator, which you can read below:
- Download and install Microsoft Authenticator (linked to your personal Microsoft account).
- Sign in to your Microsoft account.
- Choose Security. Under Advanced security options, you’ll see Passwordless account in the section titled Additional security.
- Select Turn on.
- Approve the notification from Authenticator.
This news doesn’t mean that Microsoft is turning its back on passwords, it is just a way for the tech giant to facilitate a path towards a more secure and passwordless future. In fact, the Microsoft Authenticator app has some excellent password features, which are definitely worth checking out too.
