Microsoft is letting users say goodbye to passwords
Your Microsoft account will no longer need a traditional password
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Microsofthas announced a significant security policy change that will mean users no longer need to enter traditional passwords to use its services.
The company says it has delivered on a pledge tokill off passwordsfor good, with users now able to log in to their accounts without needing to remember complicated sign-in details.
According to ablog postfrom the company, 579 password attacks occur every second, adding up to 18 billion such attacks every year. While you can create strong, complex passwords using apassword generatorand store them securely using apassword manager, many users would prefer to forgo using them entirely and now they can with Microsoft’s help.
Interested users can now completely remove the password from their Microsoft accounts. Instead of using a password to sign in toOutlook,OneDriveand the software giant’s other apps and services, they can now use theMicrosoft Authenticatorapp,Windows Hello, asecurity keyor a verification code sent to their phone or email.
Going passwordless
To get started, users will first need to have the Microsoft Authenticator app installed on their devices and linked to their personal Microsoft account.
From here, you’ll need to sign in to yourMicrosoft account, choose “Advanced Security Options” from the settings menu and under “Additional Security Options”, you’ll see “Passwordless account”. This feature needs to be toggled on to proceed to the next step. It’s worth noting that you can also enabletwo-step verificationfrom this menu for additional security.
Once Passwordless account has been toggled on, you’ll need to follow the on-screen prompts and then approve the notification from your Authenticator app. However, if you end up deciding that you still want to use a password to access your Microsoft account, you can always add it back.
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This feature will be rolled out over the coming weeks so if it’s not available yet, wait a bit and check your Microsoft account again.
After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.
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