How does Passwordless help us?
Passwordless authentication methods are more convenient because the password is removed and replaced with something you have; plus, something you are or something you know. Even if we don't like it, the Covid-19 epidemic has forced a great deal of organizations, from small businesses to multinational companies, to go digital and adopt digital workplace solutions so as to meet the needs of Remote Workers.
The traditional password-based authentication method has several shortcomings.
An authentication method based on a password is one that involves the user signing in with a password to get access to data and other services is traditional authentication.
The effectiveness of a machine in cracking passwords increases as computers get more powerful.
Organizations typically create passwords for accessing corporate assets.
It is often required that passwords contain between 4 to 8 characters, upper- and lowercase letters, as well as a symbol.
Issues with password-based Authentication.
Random passwords cant be remembered
Easy passwords can be cracked
Remembering Multiple Passwords
Users' credentials exposed through data breaches
Problems with passwords that needs to be continuously changed
Security vs. Ease-of-Use for Passwords
Shoulder Surfing Attack
identity theft (spam, phishing scams, password sniffing, malware, etc.)
If an attacker can easily access a computer's data no matter where they are, a breach is very likely if there is no additional verification.
Adding extra security measures like multi-factor authentication (MFA) can be great for securing your organization, but users often get frustrated by the additional step, given that they have to remember their passwords anyway.
It has been proven that 81% of successful cyber-attacks are caused by compromised passwords and usernames.
Make the switch to passwordless
Passwordless authentication, which strikes the right balance between security and usability.
As shown in the diagram, Microsoft neatly summarized the concept.
By offering Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) as one of the largest identity providers, Microsoft can help you transition to a password-free environment in four steps.
Microsoft has defined a four-step approach to end the era of passwords:
Deploy password replacement offerings:
Window Hello was introduced by Microsoft in Windows 10 to allow users to securely sign in to work or personal accounts with biometrics.
When users use the Microsoft Authenticator app from their mobile device to sign into their work or personal accounts, the app generates encrypted messages which can be used to verify their identity with their biometric or PIN.
The FIDO2 family of standards can be used by any web site to request phishing-resistant credentials from platforms like Microsoft, Apple, or Google as well as from USB or NFC security keys.
REDUCE USER-VISIBLE PASSWORD SURFACE AREA:
All Microsoft login experiences are moving to an identifier-first flow, so users will no longer be required to provide their password with their username.
TRANSITION TO PASSWORDLESS DEPLOYMENT:
Modern authentication is deployed in place of legacy authentication, and hard-coded statements regarding the omnipresence of passwords are changed.
Users can access all their resources through single sign-on using their password replacement technology.
ELIMINATE PASSWORDS FROM IDENTITY DIRECTORY (FUTURE):
Users can choose whether to ignore their existing passwords or simply not set one when they create accounts, and administrators can choose whether passwords are required or allowed.
Microsoft provides a variety of passwordless options below.
Passwordless authentication is not universal and depends on the infrastructure as it involves more than just Microsoft products. To go completely password-less, there may also be other software and services you need to use in your environment. Authentication protocols must be supported.
Passwordless authentication is a Zero-Trust security posture that can improve a company's security posture overall.