As announced, Microsoft is starting the integration of passkeys into Entra.
Microsoft has started rolling out passkeys for Microsoft Entra. Earlier this year, the company already announced that the integration of this alternative authentication method was on its way. Support should be ubiquitous by mid-June. Users will then be able to log in to devices and accounts linked to an Entra ID using passkeys.
Users will be able to create and store passkeys within Windows Hello. It will then be possible to log in via Windows Hello using a fingerprint, face, or PIN. These alternative login methods are more secure than a password, as they are linked to both the user and the device.
With the new integration, users can securely log in to an Entra environment, even using devices that are not linked to Entra itself. This is where Microsoft Entra passkeys on Windows differ from Windows Hello for Business. The broad support for passkeys is intended to strengthen the security of digital corporate environments.
More secure than a password
Passkeys are valuable alternatives to passwords because they are linked to a person and a device. You confirm your identity on your laptop using, for example, your fingerprint. The authentication happens partly locally, and crucial data is not sent over the internet. This makes it impossible for an attacker to steal authentication data, even through phishing.
Passkeys should not be confused with multi-factor authentication, although the second factor there is also often linked to secure biometrics. Passkeys differ because they replace a password entirely. Microsoft wants users to rely as much as possible on alternatives to passwords, as they are inherently more vulnerable. Stolen login credentials are responsible for the majority of cyber incidents worldwide.