Microsoft’s new “passwordless by default” is great but comes at a cost
1 min read
Summary
From 1 September, Microsoft will enable password-free single sign-on (SSO) and will become the default option for all its customers·Currently, Microsoft allows users to choose from a number of different options for two-factor authentication (2FA) including a smartphone authenticator app, email verification or SMS, but now it seems the tech giant is ready to move away from passwords entirely.
The impetus for the change is the fact that many people recycle passwords and this poses a security risk both for individuals and organizations.
Additionally, the move towards passkeys is also being driven by the fact that password spraying attacks are becoming more effective.
However, Microsoft has not made the transition completely seamless as users will still need to use the company’s Authenticator app to enable passwordless login.
