Introduction to a Passwordless Future
Microsoft is taking a significant step towards a future without passwords. The company has been supporting passwordless Windows logins for years and has even allowed users to delete passwords from their accounts. Now, it’s making a big change by asking people signing up for new accounts to use more secure methods like passkeys, push notifications, and security keys instead of passwords, by default.
How the New System Works
The new no-password initiative is accompanied by a redesigned sign-in window with reordered steps that flow better for a passwordless and passkey-first experience. New accounts will not prompt users to create a password, giving them several passwordless options for signing in instead. Existing users can visit their account settings to delete their password if they choose to do so.
Simplified User Experience
As part of this simplified user experience, Microsoft is changing the default behavior for new accounts. Brand new Microsoft accounts will now be "passwordless by default." This means that new users will never need to enroll a password to sign into their account. They will have the option to use passkeys, push notifications, or security keys to access their account.
The Benefits of Passkeys
Microsoft is seeing significant success with passkeys, with nearly a million passkeys registered every day. The company reports that passkey users have a 98 percent success rate of signing in, compared to 32 percent for password-based accounts. This is a major improvement in security and convenience for users.
A New Era: World Passkey Day
With these changes, Microsoft is renaming "World Password Day" to "World Passkey Day." The company is committed to continuing its work implementing passkeys over the coming year. This time last year, Microsoft implemented passkeys into consumer accounts, and the results have been promising.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Microsoft’s move towards a passwordless future is a significant step forward in terms of security and convenience. By making new accounts passwordless by default and promoting the use of passkeys, the company is helping to protect users from the risks associated with passwords. As technology continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see more companies following in Microsoft’s footsteps and adopting passwordless authentication methods.
