Windows 10 will support biometric security

Biometric security on our electronics is by no means a new feature, but recently it’s been popularised by things like TouchID and the fact that the tech involved is no longer terrible. Could it help us get rid of the password? Microsoft hopes so, and that’s why it’s including biometric compatibility in Windows 10.

At the Stanford Cybersecurity Summit on Friday, Microsoft announced that Windows 10 would support the latest version of Fast Identification Online (FIDO). FIDO is a biometric security standard adopted by a number of large tech companies back in December, and is designed to let people use biometric authentication without exposing that to the web.

This means that Windows 10 will be compatible with a large number of third party biometric readers, as well as providing a framework for hardware manufacturers who want to build extra security into a phone or computer. The other bonus is that, unlike traditional fingerprint scanners, FIDO is designed to provide a fast authentication method because all the information required is stored locally.

Microsoft’s Dustin Ingalls has confirmed that replacing the password with biometrics is, “one of the top priorities for us here at Microsoft.” That will only be a good thing, since it means you don’t have to remember a pesky password and some unscrupulous hacker won’t be able to guess it.