Microsoft is improving support in Windows 11.The redesigned Windows Hello will allow users to choose how they want to store their passkeys, including syncing them with their Microsoft account or storing them with 1Password, Bitwarden, or other passkey providers.
Passkeys allow users to access websites and services without typing usernames and passwords . They use biometric authentication, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, and provide a more secure and convenient alternative to traditional passwords. The technology creates a cryptographic key pair (one public and one private) that is associated with a user's account. Apps and services that support passkeys use the public key to verify a person's identity by matching it with the private key, which is stored on the user's device.
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With the new API for third-party password and passkeys managers, developers will be able to connect directly to the Windows 11 experience, so users can use the same passkey from their mobile device to authenticate on their PC.
Currently, this can be done in some applications via QR codes and other authentication methods, but with full support from Microsoft , the experience of using passkeys in Windows will become much better.
Microsoft is also redesigning the Windows Helloto include the ability to set up passkeys to sync to your Microsoft account or store them elsewhere.
See also: Google Password Manager: Passkeys will automatically sync across all devices
After the setup process is complete, users will be able to use facial recognition, fingerprint, or PIN for passkey authentication on multiple Windows 11 devices
Windows Insiders will get access to these new passkey features first “in the coming months,” so other Windows 11 users will be slow to see this improvement
Passkey is a relatively new authentication system that replaces traditional passwords . Efforts towards a secure password-free have been underway for the past few years, but are now bearing fruit as more and more companies are now supporting their use.
See also: AWS: Introduces passkeys and makes MFA mandatory for root users
A while ago, Google announced that passkeys in Google Password Manager will sync between Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and ChromeOS.
Source: www.theverge.com
