The verification gets carried out by a service that creates a private key for a device during a registration process, according to a description by the FIDO Alliance.Īll told, there were 'nearly 100 unique biometric-enabled Windows devices and accessories' on the market during the last year's holiday season, according to Microsoft's announcement. The U2F version of the protocol is the one that supports second-factor FIDO ('Fast ID Online') verification. Microsoft's Windows Hello verification scheme uses the Universal Authentication Framework protocol fostered by the FIDO Alliance, an industry coalition initially formed by PayPal to use biometrics for identification purposes, eliminating the need for passwords.

The user holds the card near a device with a contactless reader to unlock the PC or they can use a separate reader device for the process, according to this HID video. HID Global added near-field communications to its iClass Seos cards, allowing cards used for building-door access by employees to also serve as Windows Hello companion devices for unlocking Windows 10 PCs. A Windows 10 PC can be unlocked by just having the mobile device next to the PC, according to this RSA video. RSA has produced an application, called the 'SecureID Access Authenticator,' that makes a mobile device work like a Windows Hello companion device. The YubiKey uses a verification application, built according to Microsoft's Companion Device Framework, to enable the access, according to a Yubico blog post. Yubico's YubiKey looks like a thumb drive and plugs into a USB port to provide access to a Windows Hello-enabled PC.

The user taps a button on the band and their cardiac pattern gets verified, unlocking the Windows 10 PC if the pattern matches the one that was used during the Nymi Band setup phase. It's worn on the wrist and uses a person's cardiac pattern via Nymi 'HeartID' technology to authenticate a user. One of the companion devices featured by Microsoft's announcement is the Nymi Band. Some of these devices can support multifactor authentication schemes, too. Companion devices are things like bands, cards or USB devices that permit PC access with just a tap, a wireless transmission (Bluetooth or near-field communications) or by plugging a small device into a port. Windows Hello companion devices are enabled through specifications in Microsoft's Windows Hello Companion Device Framework.

Windows hello compatible devices