Microsoft unveiled a major FIDO milestone today at the Cloud Identity Summit (CIS) by demonstrating an early implementation of a FIDO 2-based passwordless login on a Microsoft Windows 10 computer through Azure Active Directory (AAD) using a YubiKey.  

For the demonstrated login flow, the user inserted and touched the YubiKey, using AAD to instantly authenticate the user, while simultaneously signing into the Windows environment, and allowing access to all integrated business applications. All of this done without the need to type in a username/password.

Under the covers, the login relied on the forthcoming FIDO 2 Client to Authenticator Protocol (CTAP), which will ramp up the YubiKey’s value on the Microsoft platform. While this was a demo of future functionality, YubiKey users can look forward to native support in the Windows 10 OS environment. This is a massive leap forward in the global adoption of FIDO open standards, and a future integration into one of the world’s largest computer operating systems.

Alex Simons, Microsoft’s Director of Product Management for Microsoft Identity Division, and Nitika Gupta, Product Manager for Microsoft Identity Security and Services, delivered the demonstration during the keynote “Open standards: The key to a world of secure clouds & secure devices”. This keynote provided insight into the increasingly critical role of open standards for the future of identity.  

While there is no immediate date on availability, stop by booth #425 at CIS and talk to us about this game changing demonstration. To learn more about how your organization can benefit from the authentication power of multi-protocol YubiKeys, visit https://www.yubico.com/why-yubico/for-businesses/.