Microsoft wants to put an end to passwords through Windows Hello and biometric identification
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With the topic of security and privacy increasingly in vogue, it is not surprising that Microsoft seeks to take a great leap forward in these areas with Windows Hello , a new biometric identification system that will be included in Windows 10, and that promises to offer us more convenience and security when logging into our devices.
Windows Hello will even be able to integrate with third-party software through a platform called Microsoft Passport (does anyone else remember that name? ), so we can dispense with passwords when logging into applications, accessing protected content, or even logging into web service accounts through the browser .
By default, Passport will work with all services and applications that use Microsoft accounts and/or Azure Active Directory accounts, but other sites can easily add support for this system.
Obviously, the use of this biometric identification will require special hardware, such as fingerprint reader, cameras and/or infrared sensors to iris. However, Windows Hello promises to work on computers that already have fingerprint readers, as is the case with many high-end laptops.
And to prevent fraud when using facial recognition, Windows Hello will resort to a combination of advanced hardware (such as the aforementioned iris sensors) and special algorithms, which will allow determine if what is in front of the computer is really our face, and not a photo, or someone trying to imitate us.
An interesting thing about Windows Hello is that it&39;s not only designed to provide greater convenience (and less friction when using phones and PCs), but also promises a security level superior to that offered by current passwords, that is, when using it we would not be sacrificing one thing for the other. This is partly because Windows Hello is a two-step authentication system: to use it, we first need to validate> The identification is done locally and the biometric data always remains encrypted within our device."
In addition, using Windows Hello and Passport technology with third-party sites and applications reduces having to send passwords to servers.The identification is done locally, the biometric data always remains encrypted within our device, and Windows simply sends a go-ahead>"
Redmond's goal is for more and more websites and apps to add Passport support so we can use Passport for most of the services we access. Even so, will leave room for choice, and we can decide whether or not to enable the use of Windows Hello.
Coming soon: Windows 10 phones and PCs and biometric identification
In the same article where they detail how Windows Hello works, Microsoft makes another relevant announcement: we will soon see an avalanche of new Windows 10 devices that will make use of this technology, by including more biometric sensors by default (">
On the one hand, are expected to launch Lumia phones (and other manufacturers) with fingerprint readers and other sensors. But it's also expected that more Windows tablets and laptops will start using technologies like the Intel RealSense 3D camera, which features support for iris reading and better facial recognition.
What do you think of this new technology? Would you use it on your computers?
More information | Blogging Windows
