How Microsoft is Preparing You for a Passwordless Experience

The password has long been the first line of defense against security threats, but what would you say if we told you that the password could disappear entirely from your Microsoft account? Well, get ready, because boy do we have news for you. Let’s take a look at what it means to go “passwordless” and what it could mean for your account’s security.

How Does Passwordless Even Work?

While passwords may have been the standard for a long time, they have generally fallen out of touch with the greater security needs of modern businesses. It used to be the case that a complex password was enough, but this is simply not true any longer. Password-cracking software and the immense computing power now available to hackers make the password one of the weaker types of authentication compared to some of the other options available.

Plus, most users simply weren’t being very responsible when it came to good password hygiene. 

Nowadays, the term multi-factor authentication is all the rage, and for good reason. Rather than having one singular key that unlocks your account, you instead have multiple factors that contribute to whether or not someone can gain access to it. For example, you might scan your face, iris, or fingerprint, or send an authentication code to a secondary device that is in your possession.

In the case of your Microsoft account, Microsoft appears to be nixing the password in its entirety, allowing users to sign in using the Microsoft Authenticator application, Windows Hello, or codes sent to your email or phone. If you are interested in going passwordless with your Microsoft account, follow the below steps:

• Download the Microsoft Authenticator application on your smart device
• Link your application to your account
• Go to accounts.microsoft.com and look for the Security tab
• Under Additional Security, turn on Passwordless Account
• Follow the prompts displayed and you should be good to go!

As for whether or not you should go passwordless for your Microsoft account, well, we’ll leave that one up to your personal preference. As for the rest of your organization, you can be sure that you’ll need a heck of a lot more than complex passwords to secure it. We recommend that all organizations move toward multi-factor authentication for any and all accounts. This means that you must implement more than just a password; instead you should opt for a biometric or a secondary mobile device that also acts as locks to your accounts or sensitive data.

BNMC can help your organization implement multi-factor authentication with ease. To learn more, reach out to us at (978) 482-2020.