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Passwordless authentication

Signing in without a password at all, using a device, biometric, or security key instead.

Removing the password removes the thing that gets phished, reused, guessed, and leaked. Windows Hello, passkeys, and hardware keys all authenticate with a private key held on the device and unlocked locally by a PIN or biometric.

The usual obstacle is not technology but the long tail: shared workstations, legacy applications that demand a password, and staff without suitable devices. Most organizations run a hybrid for a while rather than switching in one step.

Where this comes up

Passwordless authentication sits inside our identity and access work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.

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Related terms

Passkey A FIDO2 credential stored on a phone or computer and synced through the platform, replacing a password entirely. FIDO2 An open authentication standard using public key cryptography, implemented by security keys and passkeys. Phishing-resistant MFA Authentication methods that cannot be relayed by a fake login page, because the credential is bound to the real site. Password policy The rules governing password length, complexity, reuse, and expiry.

More in identity and access

Access reviewActive DirectoryBreak-glass accountConditional accessConsent phishingDevice complianceDomain controllerEntra ID P2

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