What Does it Mean To Go Passwordless? Just Ask Microsoft

Passwords have long been a staple against security threats, but the password could soon be a thing of the past. Microsoft is advancing toward this new concept, but what does it mean for your business? Let’s take a look and see what going “passwordless” can mean for an account’s security.

How Does Passwordless Even Work?

Passwords were the standard for quite some time, but compared to other security measures, they are less secure against threats than you might think. A complex password may have once been enough, but this is no longer the case. Password-cracking software and the massive increase in computing power means that hackers can discover passwords in no time, and weaker methods of authentication are simply inferior compared to other options that are available. Add in the fact that most users simply have no clue how to make a secure password and you have a recipe for disaster.

Multi-factor authentication is one of the best ways you can secure an account. Instead of using one singular key to unlock your account, you use multiple factors to unlock it. For example, you might use a biometric like a face, fingerprint, or iris scan, or even a secondary authentication code sent to your mobile device.

As for your Microsoft account, Microsoft is thinking about ditching the password in its entirety, giving users the option to sign in using the Microsoft Authenticator application, Windows Hello, or codes sent to your email or smartphone. Here are the steps to go passwordless for your Microsoft account:

• 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!

The fact that you can go passwordless for your Microsoft account is all well and good, but whether you should or not will likely be up to personal preference. As for your business, we want to emphasize that you should move toward multi-factor authentication wherever you possibly can. It’s that much more difficult for a hacker to crack an account.

SCW wants to help your company implement multi-factor authentication and work toward greater network security. To learn more, reach out to us at (509) 534-1530.