There’s a small group of Windows Hello-compatible apps on the market today, but Microsoft says more are coming. Among the apps that can use Windows Hello now are Dropbox, Enpass, OneDrive, One Messenger and OneLocker Password Manager.
What are the hardware requirements?
Windows Hello has a relatively low barrier to entry, but it does come with specific hardware requirements. Microsoft’s Surface Pro, Surface Book and most Windows 10 PCs equipped with fingerprint scanners or cameras that can capture two dimensional infrared spectroscopy are compatible with Windows Hello.
Compatible devices from other manufacturers include HP’s Spectre X360 13, ASUS Transformer Mini T102HA and Dell XPS 13 9360.
Microsoft is also working with device manufacturers to maintain consistent performance and security for all Windows Hello users, and set high-level benchmarks and reference designs to establish baseline requirements.
The acceptable performance range for fingerprint sensors is a false accept rate of less than 0.002 per cent, and the acceptable range for facial recognition sensors is a false accept rate of less than 0.001 per cent, according to Microsoft.
That translates into 1 in 100,000 for fingerprints and half that rate for facial recognition. (For comparison purposes, Apple says the chances of fooling its Face ID is 1 in 1 million, while the chances of fooling its Touch ID are 1 in 50,000.)
Moreover, false reject rates for fingerprint and facial recognition scanners without anti-spoofing or liveness detection must fall under five per cent.
False reject rates for fingerprint and facial recognition scanners with anti-spoofing technology must fall under 10 per cent, according to Microsoft’s guidelines.
For those not familiar with the technology, liveness detection does pretty much what it sounds like: it determines that a user is a living being before unlocking a device or app. All sensors must include anti-spoofing measures like liveness detection, but the configuration of these anti-spoofing features is optional and varies with different systems.
In addition to the built-in option, third-party devices allow Windows Hello to be added to other Windows 10 hardware.
How does Windows Hello stack up against Face ID?
Windows Hello doesn’t have direct competitors because of its exclusivity to Windows 10 devices, but it does face indirect competition from the likes of Apple, Samsung and others who provide similar technology for their devices and related ecosystems.
Apple’s Face ID is now in use on the company’s popular iPhone X, and is expected to rollout to other devices in 2018, including, perhaps the iPad, and less-expensive phones next fall.
Dropbox
Third-party apps like Dropbox have updated its apps with Face ID support.
“Windows Hello has been around since 2015, but as usual it was not until Apple came out with a similar feature that this technology got more attention,” said Castañon-Martinez.
The delayed recognition could actually benefit Microsoft because Apple is drawing more attention to Face ID and helping users become more familiar or comfortable with the technology, according to Castañon-Martinez.
“The initial reaction to Face ID seems to be skepticism and a lack of trust from users,” Castañon-Martinez said. That’s not uncommon for a new technology. More people are likely to embrace facial recognition biometrics as more devices with the technology are introduced and sold, he said.
According to Moorhead, Apple’s Face ID and fingerprint scanners are the most obvious competitors to Windows Hello. “Face ID works with glasses, Windows Hello doesn’t…. Windows Hello works well in the dark. Face ID, not so much,” he said.
“Neither Windows Hello or Face ID work well in very bright light, but fingerprint scanners work in the bright light and the dark.”
What’s next for Windows Hello in the enterprise?
Despite Windows Hello’s slow start and a delayed uptick in usage, Castañon-Martinez is convinced it will become a standard feature available across devices.
“As consumers and enterprise upgrade their devices and software, it’ll be a matter of whether they choose to use it or not,” he said.
“IT can prepare by getting familiar with the technology and its security standards. It is more likely that, once users become comfortable with it, they will prefer this type of sign-in mechanism.”
Moorhead said the onus is on businesses to push for greater adoption.
”Businesses need to stop complaining about security and start doing something about it. The technology is there, they just need to start adopting it,” he said.
“Multi-factor biometric authentication is readily available and tested, so I think the time is now to implement it not just for device access, but for apps as well.”
