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Microsoft: 2021 Is The Year Passwords Die0 0
Microsoft has been a proponent of passwordless technology for quite some time, saying that it wants traditional and unsafe passwords to die. To that end, it has invested in various solutions over the past few years such as Windows Hello, Microsoft Authenticator, FIDO2 security keys, and a palm vein authentication system, among other things.
Now, the company has highlighted the strides it made to kill off passwords in 2020, and has stated that it plans to make them a thing of the past for all its customers in 2021.
Image via Trend Micro Microsoft noted that almost 80% of all cyberattacks target passwords, and one in 250 corporate accounts get compromised each month due to this. That said, the company is making an effort to transition people to passwordless solutions. In November 2019, 100 million people were using Microsoft's passwordless sign-in. This number grew to 150 million by May 2020, which goes to show how millions of people are ready to ditch passwords due to the inconvenience of remembering them, coupled with how insecure they can be.
Throughout 2020, Microsoft participated in various conferences to share its vision of a passwordless future and a Zero Trust environment. It also unveiled a preview of Azure Active Directory support for FIDO2 security keys in hybrid environments, as well as a new passwordless wizard via the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. The firm engaged with multiple security partners in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to drive passwordless solutions too.
The Redmond tech giant highlighted the following statistics from 2020:
2021 is the year in which Microsoft plans to make passwords obsolete for all its customers. It is currently developing new APIs and a UX for managing FIDO2 security keys, and is also aiming to deliver a "converged registration portal", where customers can manage their passwordless credentials. While it hopes that 2021 marks a return to the "old normal", the company has emphasized that going passwordless will make online lives significantly easier.
How To Use Google Authenticator On A Windows PC
Google Authenticator is one of the best applications that you can use to protect your computer. However, there is no official Google Authenticator application for Windows computers. In this post, we will sort this out and see how you can use Google Authenticator on a Windows PC.
In order to use the Google Authenticator, one needs to generate a PIN. This will be a unique code that only you should have access to. Before doing the same, you should download the Google Authenticator app on your phone. The app is available for both Android and iOS, so, go to PlayStore and App Store respectively to download the application. So, go ahead and download one for your device.
Follow the steps given below to generate Google Authenticator Pin or Code.
That's how you can set up Google Authenticator on your computer. However, we would not recommend you do this, instead, simply generate a code from the Google Authenticator application from your phone.
Next up, we are going to see how you can use the Google Authenticator.
Read: Enable Two Step Authentication in Firefox for Windows
Use Google Authenticator in WinAuth
WinAuth is an authenticator for Windows computers. It is an open-source application and can use the code generated by Google Authenticator. Follow the steps given below to set up WinAuth using Google Authenticator. Download, install, and open WinAuth on your computer. Click on Add and then click on Google. Once the Google Authenticator screen is presented to you, go to the code that we just generated, enter the code in the given field, and click Verify Authenticator. Now, go back to the security page of Google and click on Next. Enter the code that you get in WinAuth. This will set up the authenticator for you. Do keep in that this is not the application that supports Google Authenticator, services such as Authy and WinOTP also support this security protocol. Read: How to add Work/School accounts to Microsoft Authenticator app Download and set up the Authenticator extension for Chromium browsers 
You also have the privilege of adding the Authenticator extensions to Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers. The Authenticator extension is nothing but a Google Authenticator for browsers. Follow the steps given below to do the same. Go to chrome.Google.Com to download the Authenticator extension. Do keep in mind that this link will work for every single Chromium-based browser. Now, install and add that extension. Once the extension is installed, open it and click on the Pencil icon. You will then be asked to enter an account name and password, do to set up your Google Authenticator. That's it! Also Read: Use Microsoft Authenticator app to Backup and Restore credentials Can I install Google Authenticator on my desktop? Google does not provide a particular application of Google Authenticator for desktop users. However, one can actually generate a code from Google Authenticator using their desktop and a browser of their choice. The only demerit here is that the process to generate the PIN will be a little longer than usual. You can also make use of an extension called Authenticator, which is nothing but a Google Authenticator for Chromium-based browsers. How do I install Google Authenticator on Chrome? It is pretty simple to install Google Authenticator on Chrome. The extension for it is called Authenticator and one can simply add it to their browser to set up. If you want to know more about it, we recommend checking the mentioned above. Read: How to move Microsoft Authenticator to a new phone? WinAuth Is A Microsoft Or Google Authenticator Alternative For Windows 11/10
If you are looking for an alternative to Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator for Windows 10, check out this tool called WinAuth. It is free and open-source software that allows users to set up two-step verification on some popular online accounts from Windows PC. Let's check out the features and learn the process to set things up.
In these present days, it is essential to use a very strong password for any online account – be it Facebook or internet banking. Apart from that, two-step verification plays a vital role to make your account more secure by adding a layer of security. For that, two of the most common names appear all the time – Google Authenticator and Microsoft Authenticator. However, the problem starts when you try to do the same on a Windows computer since those apps are not compatible with your computer.
Is there a Google Authenticator for Windows?You can install a 2FA app on your Windows PC. Once you do this, you will be able to use Google Authenticator on Windows to sign in to your Google account without the need for a phone.
The number of features of WinAuth is minimal, but all the available features are essential for any user.
As of now, WinAuth doesn't allow users to produce two-step verification codes for all the accounts. You can do so with these accounts only-
If you are okay with these accounts, you can go ahead to set it up.
Download and setup WinAuth on Windows 10 To setup WinAuth on Windows 10, follow these steps- Download WinAuth from the official website. Extract the .Zip file. Double-click on WinAuth.Exe to open the interface. Click the Add button. Select an account. Enter the secret code from that account. Click the Verify Authenticator button. Copy the code from WinAuth and paste it on your account. Click the OK button. Let's check out these steps in detail. Please note that we have mentioned the process for Google account only. If you want to set it up for another available account, you need to follow the same steps. To get started, you need to download the WinAuth from GitHub and extract the .Zip file. You can place the file somewhere safe so that it doesn't get deleted by mistake. After that, double-click on the WinAuth.Exe file and click the Run button if it shows a warning popup. Now, click the Add button, and choose an account.
In the meantime, open Google Account settings page in your browser, and enter the login credentials to sign in to your account. If you are setting it up for another account, you should open the page from where it is possible to turn ON the two-step verification. After that, switch to the Security tab, and click the 2-Step Verification option. Now, enter your account password again to verify. Once you do that, click the SET UP button under Authenticator app option. Following that, it asks you to select a mobile type – Android or iPhone. Select Android and click the NEXT button. Then, it shows a QR code that users need to scan, by default. As you are setting it up on a Windows computer, you do not need to scan the QR code. Instead, click the CAN'T SCAN IT button, copy the key, and paste it in the WinAuth window. 
Next, click the Verify Authenticator button. Then, enter the verification code on your Google account and click the NEXT button. From now onward, you can copy the code from WinAuth and paste it in your Google account for the two-step verification process. 
After going through the setup process, it asks you to create a master password. Enter your desired password twice, and make a tick in the Encrypt to only be useable on this computer checkbox as well. If you like, you can download WinAuth from the official download page. Can I install Google Authenticator on my PC? There is no official Google Authenticator app available for the Windows desktop yet. But you can use Google Authenticator on your Windows PC using other ways. 
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