Written by: Jay H.
Passwords have long been an inconvenient – but necessary – safeguard for everything in our online lives. We’re expected to use unique, complex passwords for every account or risk getting hacked. But now, Microsoft has announced that you can go passwordless with your Microsoft account.
You can completely remove the password from your Microsoft account and instead use different forms of authentication to sign in.
“Use the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code sent to your phone or email to sign in to your favourite apps and services, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Family Safety, and more,” said Microsoft. “This feature will be rolled out over the coming weeks.”
Why go passwordless?
Weak passwords provide easy access for hackers to breach your accounts. However, using strong, unique passwords on every online account makes remembering them very difficult without the help of something like a password manager.
Moreover, most people use some sort of pattern and known words and phrases when creating passwords. For instance, Microsoft found that 15 percent of people use their pets’ names for password inspiration. This makes breaching much easier for a hacker, who can take a quick look at your social media profiles and gather the information you’d be likely to use in your passwords.
Image: Microsoft
Image: Microsoft
Even if you do manage to use strong, complex passwords for every account, hackers have techniques to get them from you. They can use phishing scams to trick you into entering your credentials into a fake website. Or your usernames and passwords could get exposed in a data breach, posted for anyone to see. As you can see, there are many problems with passwords.
How to go passwordless
Going passwordless with your Microsoft account is easy.
- Make sure you have the Microsoft Authentication app installed and linked to your Microsoft account.
- Navigate to your Microsoft account, sign in, and click Advanced Security Options.
- Go to Additional Security Options, find Passwordless Account, then select Turn on.
- Follow the prompts and approve the notification from your Authenticator app. Then, you’ve gone passwordless!
Image: Microsoft
If you ever decide you prefer using a password, you can always reenable it. Give passwordless a try and see how you like it!
If you’re interested in increasing your organization’s security, contact us today. Our network security solutions can protect your business from hackers and costly data loss. Let us develop a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy for your firm!
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