Windows Hello for Business

As technology grows and evolves, so does the complexity of keeping our environments safe. With data breaches, cybercriminal attacks, and internet fraud on the rise, safeguarding our information has become even more crucial than before.

According to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, 81% of the total number of breaches leveraged stolen or weak passwords. Also, according to the 2019 Breach Alarm, 1 million of passwords are stolen every week. One cybersecurity measure you can take to ensure you’re safe is two-factor authentication (2FA). 

What is two-factor authentication? 

‘’This authentication consists of a new type of user credential that is tied to a device and uses biometric (face or fingerprint) recognition or PIN’’ – Windows Hello for Business Overview, 2021.

Windows Hello two factor authentication explained – Windows Blog

Companies that use Windows 10 have access to Windows Hello for Business, which is a modern and more secure alternative to passwords. 

Windows Hello for Business lets users authenticate to their Microsoft account, an Active Directory account or a Microsoft Azure AD account. 

This 2FA credential intends to avoid the following password-related problems: 

• Forgetting or reusing strong passwords 
• Server breaches exposing passwords
• Replay attacks
• Phishing attacks 

Difference between Windows Hello and Windows Hello for Business 

Windows Hello for individuals uses convenient PIN configuration. This isn’t backed by asymmetric or certificate-based authentication, and can use a simple password hash, depending on the account type. 

On the other hand, Windows Hello for Business is configured by Group Policy or Mobile Device Management policy. It always uses key-based or certificate-based authentication, which makes it more secure than the Windows Hello convenience PIN. 

Regardless of the type of environment you have (cloud or on-premises), Windows Hello for Business has a deployment option for it. 

Admins can create policies to manage the use of Windows Hello for Business on Windows 10-based devices connected to your organization. Using two-factor authentication can prevent your company from being part of that 81% of breaches related to passwords. 

If you want to deploy Windows 10 to boost your security with 2FA, or simply want to know more about how it can improve your company’s productivity, contact us. 

If you want to learn more details about Windows Hello for Business, read this.