Cryptographic pair as an insurmountable barrier against hacker threat.
Not so long ago, Microsoft announced the mass launch of the Passkey feature, which allows users to opt out of using passwords to access company accounts.
In its official publication, the company reports that users of Microsoft services can now create a Passkey on their devices and use a face, fingerprint, PIN or security key to identify them.
Previously, Microsoft customers could log in to apps and sites using FIDO, Windows Hello, or Microsoft Authenticator security keys instead of a password. The introduction of Passkey, in turn, is the company's next step towards password-free authentication.
Passkey's passwordless access technology, in addition to improving the user experience, has security advantages. Microsoft calls this authentication method "phishing-resistant" because it works very differently from simple passwords.
"Password attacks are so popular because they are still effective. It's painfully obvious that passwords don't protect our online lives enough. No matter how long and complex you make your password, or how often you change it, it still poses a risk," Microsoft explained.
Instead of a single vulnerable element in the form of a password, Passkey technology uses two unique keys at once, forming a cryptographic pair. One key is securely stored on your device, protected by the user's biometrics or PIN code. At the same time, the other key remains with the app or site. Since this key combination is unique, the user's Passkey will only work on the site or application that it was created for.
The transition to password-free authentication is a current trend among large technology companies. For example, Google recently reported that more than 400 million Google accounts have already switched to Passkey authentication. Needless to say, the popularity of the technology will only grow further.
Despite the obvious advantages of the new technology in the form of increased security and convenience, critics argue that traditional passwords will still remain in our lives. So, last year's report by Keeper Security shows that despite significant security risks, most organizations are likely to continue using passwords.
Quite often, new authentication methods are simply not supported by outdated services and applications, which forces security teams to abandon progress in favor of maintaining the health of their enterprise.
Not so long ago, Microsoft announced the mass launch of the Passkey feature, which allows users to opt out of using passwords to access company accounts.
In its official publication, the company reports that users of Microsoft services can now create a Passkey on their devices and use a face, fingerprint, PIN or security key to identify them.
Previously, Microsoft customers could log in to apps and sites using FIDO, Windows Hello, or Microsoft Authenticator security keys instead of a password. The introduction of Passkey, in turn, is the company's next step towards password-free authentication.
Passkey's passwordless access technology, in addition to improving the user experience, has security advantages. Microsoft calls this authentication method "phishing-resistant" because it works very differently from simple passwords.
"Password attacks are so popular because they are still effective. It's painfully obvious that passwords don't protect our online lives enough. No matter how long and complex you make your password, or how often you change it, it still poses a risk," Microsoft explained.
Instead of a single vulnerable element in the form of a password, Passkey technology uses two unique keys at once, forming a cryptographic pair. One key is securely stored on your device, protected by the user's biometrics or PIN code. At the same time, the other key remains with the app or site. Since this key combination is unique, the user's Passkey will only work on the site or application that it was created for.
The transition to password-free authentication is a current trend among large technology companies. For example, Google recently reported that more than 400 million Google accounts have already switched to Passkey authentication. Needless to say, the popularity of the technology will only grow further.
Despite the obvious advantages of the new technology in the form of increased security and convenience, critics argue that traditional passwords will still remain in our lives. So, last year's report by Keeper Security shows that despite significant security risks, most organizations are likely to continue using passwords.
Quite often, new authentication methods are simply not supported by outdated services and applications, which forces security teams to abandon progress in favor of maintaining the health of their enterprise.
