Did you know there’s a safer alternative to credentials? Passkeys are effectively used to access your account as the first step when using biometric data, such as fingerprint or facial recognition. According to a new CNET study, 49 % of US adults can avoid dangerous login practices.

Using the same login for several accounts and also using your name as part of your password can cause hackers to guess it or leak your password during a data breach at a company. That can lead to identity theft and fraud.

Passkeys may start to become popular as Microsoft introduces the significant change starting in August. What you need to know about the move and how to set up passkeys for your Microsoft balances before the date if you use Microsoft Authenticator to keep your  credentials.

Microsoft Authenticator will no longer support credentials.

Using a PIN, facial recognition, Windows Hello, or various genetic data, such as a thumbprint, Microsoft Authenticator stores your passwords and enables the signing into all of your Microsoft accounts. Different methods of using an Authenticator include confirming that you are logged in if you forget your login, or implementing two-factor identification as a layer of security for your Microsoft accounts.

Starting this month, how you use the software, according to Microsoft&nbsp.

You won’t be able to increase passwords to Authenticator in June 2025.
• You won’t be able to use the login login feature in July 2025.
• You won’t be able to utilize saved credentials as of August 2025.

You can save passwords in Microsoft Edge if you still want to use them rather of passkeys. But, CNET experts advise using passkeys during this change. Instead of relying on users themselves to create their own ( often weak or reused ) passwords to access their online accounts, passkeys use public key cryptography, according to Attila Tomaschek, senior writer and expert on CNET software. &nbsp,

Why are passkeys a better choice than credentials?

What exactly is a password, then? The Fast Identity Online Alliance created a certificate that uses genetic information or a PIN to authenticate you and gain access to your profile. Consider using your fingerprint or Face ID to access your account. That’s usually safer than entering a password that’s difficult to guess or prone to phishing attacks.

Passkeys can be cracked, whereas passkeys require both the consumer and the locally stored secret key to authenticate users, Tomaschek continued. This can help reduce the chances of phishing, brute-force, or credential-stuffing attacks, according to Tomaschek.

Passkeys are not kept on machines like passwords are. They are just stored on your specific device, though. More easily, this eliminates the need for a password manager and the guesswork from remembering your credentials.

How to configure a login in Microsoft Authenticator

In a blog post from May 1, Microsoft stated that it will automatically choose the best login and set that as your default sign-in choice. We will enable you to sign in with your one-time code rather than your password if you have a password and an “one-time code” set up on your profile. You’ll be asked to engage a login once you’ve signed in. Therefore, according to the site blog, you’ll be asked to sign in with your passkey the next time you sign in.

Start the Authenticator app on your phone to set up a new login. Click on your account and choose” Laid up a passkey” You’ll be asked to use your current qualifications to register in. You may set up the password once you’ve logged in.