With biometric identification for all Windows 10 devices , the largest software company hopes to "give hackers everywhere a headache."
Microsoft is turning our bodies into "living" passwords. With Windows Hello, would-be Windows 10 users will be able to log in to their computers using their fingerprint, face, or even their iris! The company is expected to launch Windows 10 in 2015.
"You, and only you, and your device, are the keys to enjoying the Windows 10 experience," Microsoft partner Joe Belfiore said in a blog post, adding, "not some random combination of letters and numbers that's easy to forget or hack."
As Belfiore rightly points out, we live in an era of constant cyberthreat. Hacking is now a full-time job, with hundreds of professional cybercriminals breaching the computer systems of companies, banks, and even government organizations.
Despite the ongoing threats, consumers still rely on passwords to unlock their bank accounts in their emails. At the same time, using the same password on different websites for mnemonic purposes does not help, as it allows hackers to move from the most vulnerable sites to the most secure ones, and the problem is growing.
Biometric identification confirms “who is who” by physical characteristics and promises an additional security wall between devices and malicious third parties.
Although a fingerprint is always more secure than any password, people still worry about whether hackers can somehow gain access to their biometric data.
Belfiore advises them not to worry. He argues that the company understands the importance of keeping biometric data secure, and informs us that it will be exclusively available to users.
The most famous software company is planning to gradually promote its new product to businesses of all sectors. Initially, the application will be compatible only with specific devices that provide fingerprint recognition, and then the company plans to launch the RealSense 3D Camera, which is already used in some selected gadgets and integrates depth and infrared detection technologies, in order to locate the position of objects in space.
