Microsoft Will Delete Your Passwords This Friday. What to Do Now
We are only a few days before the Microsoft Authenticator application no longer managing passwords.
From this Friday, you will not be able to save or manage passwords, use two -factor authentication or automatically fill. And it will no longer be your essential password management either.
Earlier this summer, Microsoft announced that he was moving passwords to Passkeys. Thus, instead of creating a password with a mixture of letters, symbols and numbers, you will use pins, fingerprint analyzes, facial recognition or a pattern on the lock screen of your device to connect to your accounts.
Passkeys is a safer alternative to risky password habits that we use, according to Attila Tomaschek, Senior Software writer and digital security expert. Cnet’s password survey revealed that 49% of American adults have bad password habits. And the use of the same password for several accounts or easy to guess can put you at risk of data theft.
However, the transition to a new connection process arrives quickly. So it’s time to understand how Passkeys will work with Microsoft and choose a new password manager. Here’s what you need to know to start.
Microsoft Authenticator will stop supporting passwords on August 1
Microsoft Authenticator houses your passwords and allows you to connect to all your Microsoft accounts using a pin, facial recognition like Windows Hello or other biometric data such as a fingerprint. The authenticator can be used in another way, such as the verification that you connect if you have forgotten your password or using two -factor authentication as an additional safety layer for your accounts. In June, the company ceased to allow users to add passwords to the authenticator.
Since this month, you will not be able to use the autofill password function. And from August 1, you will no longer be able to use the recorded passwords.
If you always want to use passwords instead of Passkeys, you can store them in Microsoft Edge. However, CNET experts recommend adopting pass keys during this transition. “Passkeys uses public key cryptography to authenticate users, rather than counting on users themselves creating their own passwords (often weak or reused) to access their online accounts,” said Tomaschek.
Why Passkeys is a better alternative to passwords
So what exactly one passing key? This is a diploma created by Fast Identity Online Alliance which uses biometric data or a pin to check your identity and access your account. Remember to use your fingerprint or your face ID to connect to your account. It is generally safer than using an easy to guess password or sensitive to a phishing attack.
“Passwords can be cracked, while passing keys need both the public and the private key stored locally to authenticate users, which can help to mitigate risks such as being a victim of phishing and brute force or compensation attacks,” said Tomaschek.
Passkeys are not stored on servers like passwords. Instead, they are stored only on your personal device. More conveniently, this eliminates conjectures from remembering your passwords and the need for a Password manager.
How to configure a passing key in Microsoft Authenticator
Microsoft declared in a blog article of May 1 that it would automatically detect the best passing key to configure and make it your default connection option. “If you have a password configuration and” unique code “on your account, we will invite you to connect with your unique code instead of your password. Once you are connected, you will be invited to register a Passkey. Then, the next time you log in, you will be invited to connect with your Passkey”, depending on the blog post.
To configure a new Passkey, open your authenticator on your phone. Press your account and select “Configure a passing key”. You will be invited to connect with your existing identification information. After connected, you can configure the passing key.
Other alternatives of the password manager
Since Microsoft will get rid of all your passwords in two weeks, you will need a new place to store your passwords safely. Tomaschek has some of the best recommendations of the password manager after having tested and reviewed several.
The higher recommendation is Bitwarden for its transparency. It is open-source and audited each year. From a price point of view, the free plan allows you to store infinite passwords on unlimited devices. The free plan also includes features that most password managers would charge, including password sharing and a username and a password generator.
Bitwarden’s improved plans have other improved features that could also be worth the cost.
Personally, Tomaschek has been using 1Password for some time, and he likes the interface and the family plan. Even if it’s second on the list, Tomaschek says it’s just as good as Bitwarden.
