Microsoft now simplifies and secures the connection to a Microsoft account with the support of security keys based on the FIDO2 standard. Users can log into their account without having to re-enter the username and password. Microsoft now supports secure USB keys that allow users to connect to all the company’s services without entering their username and associated password.
Microsoft is, luckily, ready to allow users to authenticate to the company’s services using secure USB keys via FIDO2 standard. With this feature, users of Outlook, Office, OneDrive, Bing, Skype, and Xbox Live can authenticate without entering their username and associated password every time they would like to connect.
Microsoft to support FIDO2 standard to ease up the authentication protocol for its services
That applies to all Microsoft services, including Outlook, Office, OneDrive, Bing, Skype, and Xbox Live. Microsoft will support authentication keys, such as Yubico’s Yubikey and Feitian Biopass. The keys only have to be inserted into a USB port of the device concerned to be operated. For smartphones, the same would be available but only through Bluetooth or NFC.
This feature eliminates the need to identify with two-factor authentication. The WebAuthn authentication technology from the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) consortium consists of a web API (programming interface) that provides new, simpler and more secure means of authentication.
You’ll need the Windows 10 October 2018 Update to take advantage of the FIDO2 authentication feature in Microsoft’s services
Thanks to FIDO’s CTAP (Client to Authenticator Protocol), WebAuthn allows you to use different systems to authenticate yourself. USB security keys are one of these means. To benefit from this new feature, it is necessary to have the last update of Windows 10, namely, the Windows 10 October 2018 Update.
Once you update, it would then become possible to configure Windows Hello or a physical security key from Yubico or FEITIAN that supports the FIDO2 standard.
