Security News > 2021 > September > It's time to delete that hunter2 password from your Microsoft account, says IT giant

From this week, Microsoft won't require you, or your password manager, to come up with strings of letters, numbers, and special characters forming a silly sentence or a reconfiguration of an ex's name and birthday to access the Windows giant's services.

That is to say, you can delete the password from your Microsoft account, and login using the Microsoft Authenticator app, Windows Hello, a security key, or a verification code sent to your cellphone or email inbox.

"Weak passwords are the entry point for the majority of attacks across enterprise and consumer accounts. There are a whopping 579 password attacks every second - that's 18 billion every year," Redmond veep Vasu Jakkal claimed in announcing the news on Wednesday.

In a Twitter poll, 20 per cent of respondents said they would rather accidentally and embarrassingly "Reply all" to a message than go through the hassle of resetting a password.

This password-free login approach isn't available right across Microsoft's vast empire, though it can be used with "Apps and services like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, Family Safety, Microsoft Edge and more," we're told.

The reversible process for ditching a password involves downloading and linking the Microsoft Authenticator App to your personal Microsoft account, going to your account settings, navigating to Advanced Security Options and then Additional Security Options, and turning on Passwordless Account.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2021/09/16/microsoft_passwordless/