Say Hello to safer network access
Reading Time: 2 minutes12th September 2019 | Modified: 19th December 2022Categories: Tech News
Businesses are urged to start using the new Windows Hello service to make network access ultra-secure.
It has been granted official certification by the authentication body FIDO and has just been launched to millions of customers worldwide.
Hello uses facial recognition, fingerprint scanning and PIN numbers to verify access to your computer and the network it uses. It brings an end to passwords as the IT industry as a whole moves to multifactor authentication to thwart cyber criminals.
It’s a welcome development for Sussex companies because getting employees to maintain strong password security has been a big problem for many years.
Poor passwords
Analysis by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre found that 123456 was the one most widely used on all hacked accounts it examined. The second was 123456789.
Hello can be added to any PC or other device that’s using Windows 10 version 1903 and to networks using Windows Server version 1903. Any businesses seeking to upgrade hardware should also look out for FIDO-certified logos on new devices in IT stores.
Windows Hello requires specialised hardware including a Windows Hello-capable device, fingerprint reader, illuminated IR sensor or other biometric sensors and capable devices. So, now’s the time to chat to an independent IT expert about which add-on kit you may need. Even companies that don’t use Windows 10 should also consider checking their hardware and software to see whether it should be brought up to the FIDO standard or replaced.
Gary Jowett, from Computer & Network Consultants in Brighton, said: “Hello is a very welcome development for Microsoft users all over the world because it closes down a weak point in IT security which has plagued us all for too long. However, it shouldn’t be seen as the panacea for all security issues. People still receive confidential and sensitive information and must observe the proper protocols for retaining and sharing such information. So, keeping up with all the aspects of the government-backed Cyber Essentials programme is a good idea for all businesses.”
