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Windows 10 users will be able to ditch passwords for fingerprint and eye-scanning hardware, Microsoft has confirmed.
During the Stanford Cybersecurity Summit (via The Verge), the software giant revealed it would be supporting the next-generation of Fast Identification Online technology.
Microsoft has joined the FIDO alliance and says it is working with industry partners to ensure a transition away from the humble password.
That means hardware manufacturers wishing to build biometric security tools into their laptops and tablets will benefit from native support within Windows 10. The security tools could be used to log in to Outlook, Office 365, Azure and more, Microsoft says.
An early version of the FIDO 2.0 tech is already available within the latest Windows 10 Technical Preview.
“Transitioning away from passwords and to a stronger form of identity is one of the great challenges that we face in online computing,” wrote Microsoft’s Dustin Ingalls on the firm's official blog. “We believe FIDO authentication, which is the subject of great discussion here at the White House summit, is the pathway to success.
“To address this challenge we joined the FIDO Alliance, where we are working alongside major industry partners to change the nature of authentication by developing specifications that define an open, scalable, interoperable set of mechanisms that supplant reliance on passwords to more securely authenticate users of online services.”
Read more: How to install the Windows 10 Technical Preview
Ingalls says he is “confident [FIDO] will succeed in transforming the industry.” Are you ready to leave passwords behind once and for all? Let us know your thoughts below.
