Microsoft has enabled support for access keys or ‘passkeys’ in all user accounts, which can be used to log in to the technology company’s applications and websites.
Passwords “are not enough” to protect users’ digital lives. There are still more than 4,000 password attacks per second today, a threat that remains popular because it “still works,” Microsoft said.
To advance the idea of a world without passwords, Microsoft has announced that access keys have been incorporated into all user accounts, a simpler and faster way to log in to a digital service, especially if used from multiple devices.
Starting this Thursday, International Password Day, users can create a password to access their Microsoft account using their face, fingerprint or device PIN on Windows, Google and Apple platforms, as the company reported in its official blog.
Users can create a passkey to sign in to Microsoft apps and websites, such as Microsoft 365 and Copilot on desktop and mobile browsers.
The ‘passkey’ system uses two unique keys to access an account, one key is stored securely on the device, protected by biometric data or a PIN, while the other key remains in the application or website to the one who creates the access key.
“You need both parts of the key pair to log in,” notes the company, which emphasizes the more robust protection it offers in the event of ‘phishing’: “Because this key pair combination is unique, your access key “It will only work on the website or app you created it for, so you can’t be tricked into logging into a malicious website.”
