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With the release of the Windows 10 October 2018 release now back, Microsoft announced that users can connect to its main websites from the Edge without a password.
Edge on Windows 10 1809 supports WebAuthn, the W3C standard for password-free login to websites, also supported by Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
WebAuthn allows connection to Web sites from the Edge using biometric data, such as scanning faces or fingerprints with Windows Hello, as well as FIDO2-compliant security keys such as YubiKey's Yubico and the key Feitian BioPass.
For Windows users, this means that they will be able to connect to a range of Microsoft applications and Web sites from the Edge, using Windows-compatible security keys. Hello or FIDO2.
The advantage over passwords is that it is more difficult to be a victim of phishing attacks and that users do not have to worry about entering a user name and password.
Users will be able to use the new method to connect to accounts on Outlook.com, Office 365, Skype, OneDrive, Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Xbox Live on PC, Mixer, Microsoft Store, Bing and MSN.
"Microsoft is the first company to support password-free authentication using the FIDO2 WebAuthn and CTAP2 specifications, and Microsoft Edge supports the largest number of authenticators than any other leading browsers, "said Alex Simons, vice president of program management at Microsoft Identity Division.
To sign in to a Microsoft account with a compatible security key, users must access the Microsoft account page on the Edge and log in normally.
After that, users can select Security, then go to "More Security Options." In Windows Hello and the security keys, instructions will be provided to configure the security key.
The FIDO2 industry standard uses public-private key encryption, where a private key is stored on the local device and requires a face, fingerprint, or PIN to unlock it.
A public key is sent to the Microsoft account servers in the cloud and the key is registered with the user account.
Microsoft plans to extend the same login features from a browser to work and school accounts with the help of Azure Active Directory, the service that experienced a global problem yesterday, blocking users from leaving Office 365 and Azure for several hours.
Microsoft demonstrates how Windows Hello can allow users to authenticate without a password on any Windows 10 device that uses biometrics. Source: Microsoft
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