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Windows 10's Biometric Security Layer Introduced
jones_supa writes: One of the major concepts of Windows 10 are new security ideas, and though Microsoft has touched on this topic before, it's only now giving us a more comprehensive look in the form of "Windows Hello." This is an authentication system that uses a variety of biometric signatures and combines hardware and software to allow for seamless and secure user recognition and sign-in. According to Microsoft, the ideal scenario here would be for you to simply look at or touch a new device running Windows 10 and to be immediately signed in. The software analyzes input from such hardware as fingerprint scanners and infrared sensors to make sure that you are you and not some impostor, and then signs you in without requiring you to enter a password. But the point of Windows Hello isn't only convenience, as the company's blog post notes, but also security. We've heard time and time again how insecure passwords are, and Microsoft is aiming to offer a widely-deployed replacement while still delivering enterprise grade security and privacy.
Could they have picked a worse name? "Windows Hello" reminds me of all the awkward conversations I had with nontechnical Windows users about their "My Documents" folder. "Open My Documents." "Your documents?" "No, your My Documents." "My your documents?" "NO!..."
That wasn't a hot dog.
You are welcome on my lawn.
That's why you use a toeprint instead. Sure, your computer will start smelling of feet, but them's the tradeoff.
So the last sentence in the summary should have read "We've heard time and time again how insecure passwords are, and Microsoft is aiming to replace them with a password-equivalent where you can never change your password when it's compromised, you leave copies of it on everything you touch (or look at), and which can be defeated with a bit of gelatin or a printout of a photo".
Yay, Microsoft!