Windows 10: Biometrics Over Passwords Will Boost Security – Official

Microsoft’s move to get rid of passwords and introduce biometric verification in its upcoming Windows 10 OS upgrade will greatly improve security along with the user experience, a senior official said.

Speaking at the annual RSA security conference in San Francisco, Scott Charney, corporate vice president, Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft said that the new feature, called Windows Hello, will ensure that people can maintain privacy, and avoid the confusion that multiple password authentication codes currently entail.

“Your machine will recognise you, allowing us to kill usernames and passwords,” he said.

Microsoft announced its Windows Hello feature in March, confirming that the system will support biometric authentication through face, iris, or fingerprint sensors. It will be a key component of Windows 10, which is expected to be unveiled in July.

“Windows Hello offers enterprise-grade security that will meet the requirements of organisations with some of the strictest requirements and regulations,” the company said.

“It’s a solution that government, defense, financial, health care and other related organisations will use to enhance their overall security.”

However, Charney also cautioned that measures such as these were not really a “panacea” for the growing cyber security threat landscape.

“The terrain is dangerous, but these measures help reduce attacks and make security more effective,” he said.

According to a study conducted by PwC, the total number of detected cyber attacks globally rose to 42.8 million last year, up 48 per cent compared to 2013, averaging at 117,339 per day.

The average reported financial loss from these attacks also increased by 34 per cent in 2014, with nearly all the companies surveyed reporting atleast one incident.

Cyber security is also becoming a major cause for concern in the Middle East, with the UAE alone seeing an increase in targeted attacks lat year, according to a recent report by Symantec.

The report found that cyber attacks against the UAE increased from less than one per cent of the global total in 2013 to almost five per cent in 2014.