Microsoft has announced that new Microsoft accounts will now be 'passwordless by default', encouraging users to adopt multiple safer authentication methods without needing a password. Existing users can choose to delete their passwords. The company has streamlined the sign-in experience to prioritize these passwordless options, utilizing techniques backed by the FIDO Alliance to enhance security. This move reflects a broader industry trend toward eliminating passwords as a response to increasing cyber threats, emphasizing safer alternatives like passkeys and one-time codes.
"Brand new Microsoft accounts will now be 'passwordless by default,'" Microsoft's Joy Chik and Vasu Jakkal said. "New users will have several passwordless options for signing into their account and they'll never need to enroll a password."
Microsoft's latest move represents a steady march toward a passwordless future, as password-based cyber-attacks continue to be a lucrative initial access vector for bad actors.
The adoption of passkeys heralds an important step for account security, which is crucial as cyber threats evolve and become more sophisticated.
Backed by the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) Alliance, passkeys rely on public/private key cryptography techniques to authenticate users, offering a more secure way of logging in.
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