Microsoft Tries To Kill The Password

Two-factor authentication is often touted as a great tool for thwarting threat actors who steal or guess account credentials in order to break into systems. Microsoft Authenticator is a new app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone that ditches passwords for Windows log-ins with one-time passcode that are delivered to your smartphone.

The new multi-platform app is easy to use. I downloaded the iOS version to my iPhone. Once installed, I visited one of Microsoft’s online sites where I was prompted to log on.

After entering my user name, I was then given the option to either use my password or the Authenticator app.

I received a notification on my iPhone and (Apple Watch) and I used TouchID to log in to my Microsoft account.

Although it took longer than tapping my password in, it was not hard to do and does offer better security than passwords which are often weak, rarely changed and easily guessable.

You can download the different versions from

• iOS
• Android
• Windows Phone

There’s some more information at