Microsoft makes passwords a factor of the previous for brand new customers

Microsoft
has been pushing its

passwordless Windows logins
for the previous a number of years, even permitting customers who add passkeys to their accounts the flexibility to delete their passwords now. In recognition of

World Password Day
, Microsoft has taken its next bold step in account security and safety.

In a current blog post, Microsoft introduced that new accounts will probably be “passwordless by default,” that means that customers will as a substitute be prompted to set up a passkey for his or her new account slightly than a password. This implies new Microsoft accounts won’t ever must have a password, if the person so chooses.

“Model new Microsoft accounts will now be ‘passwordless by default.’ New customers could have a number of passwordless choices for signing into their account and so they’ll by no means must enroll a password,” Microsoft stated. “Current customers can go to their account settings to delete their password.”

Associated

5 useful Windows 11 features I always enable first on a new PC

Home windows 11 has many alternative settings, however these are those I all the time allow first to boost my expertise.

What’s a passkey?

You should use biometrics to entry your account as a substitute of a password

Microsoft / Pocket-lint

Passkeys make it more durable for unhealthy actors to steal your account’s password, because the password would not exist within the first place to steal. Passkeys let customers register to their Microsoft account utilizing their face, fingerprint, or PIN on their private system as a substitute of a daily previous password. Passkeys launched for all client Microsoft accounts final yr.

To arrange a passkey in your Microsoft account, go to Account Settings > Safety > Add a brand new technique to register or confirm. It’s also possible to obtain the Microsoft Autheticator app in your cell system to arrange a passkey from there, in addition to push notifications to register to your Microsoft account as a substitute of a password.

“Though passwords have been round for hundreds of years, we hope their reign over our on-line world is ending,” Microsoft stated, whereas boldly proclaiming World Password Day as “World Passkey Day” as a substitute. Whereas it could be awhile earlier than passwords in all places are gone for good, this can be a main transfer by a tech firm to eradicate passwords altogether. In all equity, your password cannot get stolen if it would not exist within the first place.

If you wish to find out about password safety, and the perfect methods to maintain your units and accounts safe on-line, try all of Pocket-lint’s World Password Week stories.

Associated

Welcome to World Password Week 2025: learn how to better secure your accounts

All through the following few days, you will hear learn the way Pocket-lint’s consultants hold their accounts safe.