{"id":8006,"date":"2015-03-20T09:00:20","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=8006"},"modified":"2020-02-26T11:00:42","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T16:00:42","slug":"windows-hello-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/windows-hello-security\/8006\/","title":{"rendered":"Windows Hello: Biometric Authentication by Default in Windows 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Microsoft has announced an ambitious plan to replace passwords with biometric identifiers in it\u2019s yet to be released Windows 10 operating system. The race to replace passwords has been on for years<\/a>, however, \u201cWindows Hello\u201d offers perhaps the most realistic chance of eradicating the archaic but ubiquitous authenticator.<\/p>\n

The difficultly with password alternatives to date has been primarily a problem of adoption and practicality. Tattoos as passwords<\/a>, for example, is a ridiculous idea. In body chip implants<\/a> are promising but I imagine many people would be squeamish about having a computer chip injected into their bodies. Twitter\u2019s Digits system<\/a> is practical but adoption would require cooperation between all the various organizations that develop and maintain your password protected accounts and devices.<\/p>\n

The cameras use infrared technology to identify your face or iris and can recognize you in a variety of lighting conditions<\/div>\n

Windows systems (from Windows 95 to Windows 8.1) command 91.56 percent of the market, according to Net Marketshare. It stands to reason that Windows 10 will come to represent a large share of the operating system market too. While current biometric authenticators are the stuff of science fiction, the technically savvy and early adopters, Windows Ten may\u00a0put these technologies within the reach of all computer users.<\/p>\n

Using a combination of hardware and software, Windows Ten devices, both traditional and mobile, will offer the ability to authenticate users via iris, fingerprint and face.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor facial or iris detection, Windows Hello uses a combination of special hardware and software to accurately verify it is you \u2013 not a picture of you or someone trying to impersonate you,\u201d said Joe Belfiore, vice president of the operating system group at Microsoft. \u201cThe cameras use infrared technology to identify your face or iris and can recognize you in a variety of lighting conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Users will be able to authenticate themselves via #biometric measures rather than #passwords in Windows 10<\/p>Tweet<\/a><\/blockquote>\n

Computers with built-in fingerprint scanners will be Windows Hello compatible after Windows Ten installation. Newer Windows 10 capable machines will contain Windows specialized hardware, including fingerprint readers, illuminated IR sensors or other biometric sensors.<\/p>\n

We all know the limitations of passwords. In essence, good ones are hard to guess and hard to remember; bad ones are easy to guess and easy to remember. On top of that, we aren\u2019t supposed to share passwords between services. If we do it right, we end up having to remember a dizzying array of passwords that are difficult to remember on their own let alone en masse.<\/p>\n