Microsoft revealed its digital identity protection feature in Windows 8 today in a new Building Windows 8 blog post. We learn about the new feature that makes it easier and provides a stronger method for protecting one’s digital identity.
“With Windows 8, we provide support for both the safe storage of username/password combinations, and technology to support alternate authentication; that is, we try to make it easier for you to enhance the security of your passwords, and easier to use newer and stronger techniques for protecting your digital identity,” Microsoft stated in an official Windows 8 blog post.
Microsoft determined that there were two basic approaches in establishing an easy and secure digital identity. First, the user would allow Windows to help manage their passwords. The second approach is to use a password alternative to help establish and protect the users identity. “There have been a number of alternatives to passwords available for many years—technologies such as One Time Passwords (OTP), certificates, smart cards, etc. However, despite some of the superior security properties of these password alternatives, they haven’t exactly caught on for mainstream use—mostly because they’re just not as easy to use as a password.”
Windows 8 will have the ability to automatically store and retrieve multiple account names and passwords for all the websites and applications the user has and uses. On top of that, Windows 8 will utilize Windows Live ID to sync credentials to all Windows 8 PCs that are labeled as “Trusted PCs.”
Microsoft recommends that users keep their PC clean and free of malware to help fight against phishing and keylogging, which obviously compromise one’s digital identity.
“In a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on maintaining a secure digital identity, we are very passionate about finding ways to make your digital life safer and more secure, without making it more complex,” Microsoft adds.
