Microsoft has long supported passwordless technology, saying it wants traditional, insecure passwords to die. To this end, it has invested in various solutions in recent years, such as Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, FIDO2 security keys and a palm vein authentication system, among others.
Now, the company has highlighted the steps it has taken to remove passwords in 2020 and said it intends to turn them into a past for all its customers in 2021.
Microsoft said that almost 80% of all cyber attacks target passwords, and one in 250 corporate accounts is compromised every month because of this. That being said, the company is working to move people to password-free solutions. In November 2019, 100 million people used Microsoft’s passwordless connection. That number has risen to 150 million by May 2020, demonstrating how millions of people are willing to give up passwords because of the inconvenience of remembering them, along with how insecure they can be.
Throughout 2020, Microsoft participated in various conferences to share its vision of a password-free future and a Zero Trust environment. It also unveiled a preview of Azure Active Directory support for FIDO2 security keys in hybrid environments, as well as a new password-free expert through the Microsoft Administration Center 365. The company has engaged with several security partners in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to lead and password-free solutions.
Technology giant Redmond has highlighted the following 2020 statistics:
- Passwordless use in Azure Active Directory increases by more than 50% for Windows Hello for Business, connecting to the phone without a password with Microsoft Authenticator and FIDO2 security keys.
- Over 150 million total passwordless users in Azure Active Directory and Microsoft consumer accounts.
- The number of consumers using Windows Hello to connect to Windows 10 devices instead of a password has increased to 84.7% from 69.4% in 2019.
2021 is the year Microsoft intends to turn obsolete passwords for all of its customers. It is currently developing new APIs and a UX for FIDO2 security key management and also aims to provide a “converged registration portal”, where customers can manage their credentials without a password. Although it hopes that 2021 will mark the return to the “old normal”, the company stressed that access without a password will make online life much easier.