Let’s be honest, password are annoying. They’re infuriatingly hard to remember and exceedingly convoluted, making the average login process an absolute nightmare. To make matters worse, password security is severely lacking, with the average user utilizing annoyingly common passwords that can often be hacked in a few seconds. Fortunately, Microsoft is trying to fix this by implementing a new system that could pave the way to a more comprehensive online security protocol. This announcement isn’t out of the blue, as Microsoft rolled out password-less access to commercial users in March to alleviate the professional security stress of remote work. Now though, individual users will be able to enjoy the same seamless security on their Microsoft account. Unfortunately, passwords are rarely used correctly, and even the slightest deviation from best practices can leave you woefully vulnerable to an attack. You could be using a password with only eight characters (the typical minimum) or just using the same password for multiple accounts. Either way, these lapses in security are music to the ears of hackers. From a business standpoint, 81% of security breaches stem from poor password security, which means that the need to replace this outdated method is long overdue. But what about your non-Microsoft accounts? Password managers can’t get rid of passwords, but they can help you manage them in an easy way without having to remember a million different characters. All you have to do is use the browser plug-in offered by most providers, and you’ll be two clicks away from any login you’ve set up. Plus, password managers are thoroughly encrypted and randomize your passwords for you, so you can be sure the security is top notch. Some of the best password managers even alert you when a password is compromised, so you can change it as soon as possible.
