Microsoft is ready to replace the login password with a PIN and a second authentication factor: here’s what changes
This year, the Windows 10 20H1 update will arrive in May and not in April, as initially planned. Despite the postponement of a month, which turns this update into a “May update”, it will still be an update full of news.
Among the many there will also be one, related to security and login, which to many may seem a blast from the past: on Windows 10, in fact, PINs are about to return. Yes, the dear old PINs that seemed to be a memory and that, instead, according to Microsoft are the key to make Windows 10 a “passwordless” operating system. It’s not at all clear what Microsoft intends to do, but what is certain is that the Redmond-based company is convinced that authentication via PIN, and not via password, is more effective and more secure. Will it be right?
Windows 10 passwordless: what it will look like
Microsoft has been pushing for passwordless access to Microsoft accounts on devices running Windows 10 for some time. This type of access will initially be optional: it can be activated via Settings > Accounts > Login Options, where we’ll find a new “Make your device passwordless” option. Microsoft promises that this will improve security and provide a smoother login experience, “This will make logging into your device more secure by switching all Microsoft accounts on your device to the new multi-factor authentication, with Windows Hello Face, fingerprint or PIN.” That the PIN is more convenient than a complex password is easy to guess, that it is more secure is not. The security, probably, will be guaranteed by the second factor of authentication: fingerprint or facial unlock.
Windwos 10 20H1: the other news
The beginning of the transformation of Windows 10 into a “passwordless” operating system is just one of the novelties expected with the May Update 2020. Among the others there should be one that will make happy those who have a not very recent and fast computer: a new algorithm for indexing files on the disk, lighter than the previous one. And, speaking of performance, it should also improve those of video playback. Revolution in sight, however, for Cortana: the digital assistant is preparing to become a separate app, focused on artificial intelligence and the needs of business customers.