Microsoft is doing away with passwords for Azure Virtual Desktop
Users get passwordless authentication for virtual desktops
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Microsoftis now publicly previewing a single sign-on experience for Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), enabling passwordless authentication for users.
Users will now be able to use Windows Hello and security devices such as FIDO2 keys to sign in, as well as third-partyidentity managementservices that integrate with Azure AVD.
In addition, users will be able to use passwordless authentication to sign both into the host computer using Azure ADV, as well as inside the session when using the Windows client.
How can I get started?
This new functionality is currently only available forWindows 10,Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022 session hosts, and only once you’ve installed the September Cumulative Update Preview.
You can followthe instructionsfrom Microsoft on how to configure single sign-on, which will guide you in enabling the new authentication protocol. And if you’d like to get a quick overview of how the new functionality works as a whole, you can check out thisintro videoon Azure Academy.
In particular, if you’d like to use Windows Hello andsecurity keysinside the session, Microsoft has alsosupplied instructionsfor in-session passwordless authentication explaining how to use the new WebAuthn redirection functionality.
Microsoft Azure is taking its cloud into space>Dodgy Microsoft Azure update knocks Ubuntu VMs offline>Our guide to the best cloud hosting
If you are interested in trying out avirtual desktop, Microsoft isn’t the only game in town for Azure users.
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Will McCurdy has been writing about technology for over five years. He has a wide range of specialities including cybersecurity, fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, cloud computing, payments, artificial intelligence, retail technology, and venture capital investment. He has previously written for AltFi, FStech, Retail Systems, and National Technology News and is an experienced podcast and webinar host, as well as an avid long-form feature writer.
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