The end of passwords has been talked about for years. And Microsoft is one of the companies working to make this a reality.
This week, the Redmond-based company has decided to hasten the end of passwords for users of its services. Indeed, it is now possible to altogether remove your password from your Microsoft account.
But without a password, how will the user connect to his Microsoft account? Vasu Jakkal, Corporate Vice President, Security, Compliance and Identity, cites the different options in a blog post.
“Use the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key or verification code sent to your phone or email to log in to your favourite apps and services, such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Family Safety, etc.,” the official writes.
Microsoft precipitates the end of passwords for its users.
This option to use Microsoft services without remembering passwords was already available for several months for the company’s business customers. And now, the choice is available for the general public.
Microsoft will not force users to use its services without passwords. Nevertheless, Vasu Jakkal hopes that users will test this option. And at any time, it will be possible to back out.
The vice president also says that nearly 100 per cent of Microsoft employees are already using password-free options to log into their corporate accounts.
The reason Microsoft is now urging its users to ditch the password is that they are not secure. “Except for automatically generated passwords that are nearly impossible to remember, we largely create our passwords. But because of the vulnerability of passwords, their requirements have become increasingly complex in recent years, including multiple symbols, numbers, case sensitivity and a ban on previous passwords,” says Vasu Jakkal.
We also often reuse the same password for multiple accounts, which makes those accounts vulnerable. And sometimes, when we forget a password that is too complicated, we end up abandoning the account.
If you want to test Microsoft’s new password-free option, you need to log into your Microsoft account. Then, you need to go to the security tab and open “Advanced Security Options”. Then, you will see a button to enable the no password option.