Windows Hello is an extensible framework, so while currently you can use fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scanning with it, supported biometrics can be expanded with new hardware. This advanced biometric interface enables you to use biometrics rather than the traditional username and password to log in to Windows. If you sign into Windows 10 with fingerprint or face recognition, then you are already using Windows Hello. Microsoft Passport is a two-factor authentication (2FA) system that combines a PIN or biometrics (via Windows Hello) with encrypted keys from a user’s device to provide two-factor authentication.

Windows Hello is the biometrics system built into Windows-it is part of the end-user’s authentication experience. You might hear Microsoft Passport and Windows Hello mentioned in the same breath. What are Microsoft Passport and Windows Hello? In this post, we’ll explore what Microsoft Passport and Windows Hello are, as well as what it takes to use this technology in a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app for Windows 10. Moving from less secure password systems to two-factor authentication via Microsoft Passport and Windows Hello can make things more convenient for both parties. Two-factor authentication is more common nowadays, but it increases complexity for both the user and the identity provider.

Identity management is a hard thing to do well, involving encryption, reset mechanisms, and other security measures. If your app handles user data, then secure authentication should be one of your primary concerns.

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