Microsoft: 2021 is the year passwords die

Microsoft has been a proponent of passwordless technology for some time, saying it wanted traditional, insecure passwords to die. To this end, it has invested in various solutions in recent years such as Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, FIDO2 security keys and a palm vein authentication system, among others.

Now, the company has highlighted the progress it has made in removing passwords in 2020 and said it plans to make this a thing of the past for all of its customers in 2021.

Microsoft noted that nearly 80% of all cyber attacks target passwords and that one in 250 business accounts are compromised each month because of it. That said, the company strives to move people to password-less solutions. As of November 2019, 100 million people were using Microsoft’s password-less login. That number rose to 150 million in May 2020, showing just how willing millions of people are to give up passwords due to the inconvenience of remembering them, as well as their insecurity.

Throughout 2020, Microsoft has participated in various conferences to share its vision for a password-free future and a Zero Trust environment. He also unveiled a preview of Azure Active Directory support for FIDO2 security keys in hybrid environments, as well as a new no-password wizard through the Microsoft 365 admin center. The company s ‘is engaged with several security partners of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to also offer passwordless solutions.

The Redmond tech giant highlighted the following statistics as of 2020:

• Passwordless usage in Azure Active Directory has increased by over 50% for Windows Hello for Business, passwordless phone sign-in with Microsoft Authenticator, and FIDO2 security keys.
• Over 150 million total password-less users across Azure Active Directory and Microsoft consumer accounts.
• The number of consumers using Windows Hello to sign in to Windows 10 devices instead of a password increased from 69.4% to 84.7% in 2019.

2021 is the year Microsoft plans to make passwords obsolete for all of its customers. It is currently developing new APIs and UX for FIDO2 security key management, and also aims to provide a “converged registration portal”, where customers can manage their credentials without a password. While hoping 2021 will mark a return to the “old standard,” the company stressed that going without a password will make life online a lot easier.