The new Windows 10 operating system will allow users to sign in to a
device without a password by using biometrics, including facial
recognition, Microsoft announced Tuesday.
Microsoft said its Windows
Hello feature will support biometric authentication as part of an effort
to reduce the use of passwords, which can often be hacked.
This
means "using your face, iris, or fingerprint to unlock your devices,"
Microsoft vice president Joe Belfiore said in a blog post.
"You
uniquely you plus your device are the keys to your Windows experience,
apps, data and even websites and services, not a random assortment of
letters and numbers that are easily forgotten, hacked, or written down
and pinned to a bulletin board."
The move comes following a wave of reports about hacking into databases, which can lead to identity theft and other crimes.
Apple
and Samsung have already begun putting fingerprint sensors on their
smartphones, and other types of biometrics are being developed across a
range of products and services.
Belfiore said Windows Hello offers
improved online security because it "enables you to authenticate
applications, enterprise content, and even certain online experiences
without a password being stored on your device or in a network server at
all."
Microsoft has begun testing for Windows 10, which is being
developed for both traditional PCs and mobile devices such as tablets
and smartphones. No precise date has been given for its launch.
Belfiore
said "there will be plenty of exciting new Windows 10 devices to choose
from which will support Windows Hello," and that if the device already
has a fingerprint reader, it will be compatible with the new
authentication system.
Infrared imaging
For facial or
iris detection, "Windows Hello uses a combination of special hardware
and software to accurately verify it is you not a picture of you or
someone trying to impersonate you," he wrote.
"The cameras use infrared technology to identify your face or iris and can recognize you in a variety of lighting conditions."
Microsoft
also announced that developers of other services would accept the same
authentication under the programming system dubbed "Passport."
This provides a more secure way of letting users sign in to website or apps.
This
opt-in system will verify the user of a device before authenticating
that person for the wider range of services accepting Passport.
"Instead
of using a shared or shareable secret like a password, Windows 10 helps
to securely authenticate to applications, websites and networks on your
behalf without sending up a password. Thus, there is no shared password
stored on their servers for a hacker to potentially compromise,"
Belfiore said.
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