One of the major features in Windows 10 is the way Microsoft addresses security, user accounts and sign-on options, and though the company has touched on this topic before, it’s only now giving us a more comprehensive look in the form of Windows Hello.
Windows Hello is an authentication system that uses a variety of biometric signatures and combines hardware and software to allow for seamless and secure user recognition and sign-in. According to Microsoft, the ideal scenario here would be for you to simply look or touch a new device running Windows 10 and to be immediately signed up.
Windows Hello relies on common hardware, but takes everything to the next level: fingerprint scanners, cameras with infrared sensors and so on. The software analyzes input from such hardware to confirm your identity and then signs you in, without requiring you to remember a password.
But the point of Windows Hello isn’t only convenience, as the company’s blog post notes, but also security. We’ve heard time and time again how insecure passwords are, and Microsoft is aiming to replace them completely, while still offering enterprise-grade security and privacy. The company is looking at health organizations, defense contractors and financial institutions as the primary beneficiaries from Windows Hello. but that’s not to say that regular users won’t benefit as well.
Alongside Windows Hello Microsoft is also launching Passport, a system designed to replace passwords by using personal devices such as smartphones or wearables for authentication into enterprise systems and online content. Both Passport and Hello will be open to developers and OEMs to implement in devices and services.
We’ll have to wait and see how convenient and secure Microsoft’s new services are, but they definitely sound intriguing.
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