This is the killer feature we hope to see in Microsoft Windows 10
Requiring users to login with a Microsoft account, in order to access the operating system, is a great feature, with one potentially problematic flaw: the lack of proper two-step authentication, to access the operating system itself.
If Windows 10 were operating like Windows 7 or Windows 8, this would not be much of a concern, as to gain access to it, one would require physical access to the target computer, or the ability to access it through a remote desktop connection. The problem arises as many of the services that come with Windows 10 are cloud based, and only a password or a PIN away. Of course some users will set up a picture to secure their systems, however, all of the above security measures are more or less equally easy to crack.
Access to your Windows 10 computer should be a text message away.
This is where taking a page from Twitter, Facebook, Google and as of late, Yahoo, can be useful.
In Twitter’s particular case, users whom have been plagued for years by hackers, have found relief when Twitter finally decided to adopt SMS login authentication, which is a form of secure login that sends a text message with a random login code to the phone number specified in the Twitter account settings.
Without that code, there is no way to hack into a Twitter account, as an intruder would have to physically reach the victim's phone to read the code contained within, by which time it will have expired.
Google has two variations of the latter: one that uses SMS login authentication, and another using the Google Authenticator app, which is designed to provide random login codes that expire every 60 seconds.
Facebook’s rollout of two-step authentication has been a welcome addition, providing a way for users to, not only require SMS authentication, but also to receive a text message every time their account is accessed from an unfamiliar device.
Adding this feature to Microsoft Windows 10 would close the loop, and create a truly secure environment, particularly useful in the workplace.
In an ideal scenario, a Windows 10 user would turn on his or her computer and be prompted with the usual password login. Once the correct password is entered, two things happen:
- a text message would be sent to the user’s phone, with a login code
- the login screen will not go past the password prompt until the SMS login code is entered
This procedure could be extended to every computer that operates under the same account, effectively securing multiple Windows 10 computers, with one, or more phone numbers.
The chances of seeing such feature being implemented in Windows 10, perhaps even at its official rollout are strong, mostly because this type of authentication already exists for online Microsoft account services.