Goodbye SMS or phone calls Microsoft is making passkeys the default authentication process for businesses

Date:
Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:45:00 +0000

Description:
Microsoft says SMS and phone call authentication isn't up to the task anymore
and urges businesses to adopt passkeys.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Beginning September 1, 2026, passkeys will become the default for Entra ID Microsoft is retiring SMS/phone call authentication from February 1, 2027 Victims are more likely to open AI-assisted phishing emails Microsoft has confirmed plans to make passkeys
the default or preferred authentication method for Entra ID beginning September 1, 2026, announcing further changes to account authentication in a bid to combat sophisticated attacks.

A few months later from February 1, 2027, the company will also stop
providing its own SMS and voice call authentication codes for Entra ID in the hope that business users fully adopt passwordless sign-in. While passkeys don't promise to totally stop attacks, they make phishing attempts far less effective because attackers would need access to victims' hardware to gain access. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Microsoft continues its drive for passkeys While the company may be ending support for its own SMS
and phone call authentication methods, passkeys won't be the only sign-in method after the change. Windows Hello for Business (biometrics) and FIDO2 security keys will still be available, for example.

"The AI era demands stronger, phishing-resistant authentication," a company notice seen by Windows Latest reads. "We are making passkeys the default authentication experience in Microsoft Entra to help customers securely adopt AI at scale." You may like Microsoft finally stops using SMS codes for
account sign-in Microsoft is ditching password-based authentication tomorrow Edge browser will switch to Windows Hello access The downfall of the login is redefining security

Though AI hasn't exactly made attacks better at breaking through traditional authentication methods, it has made attacks more convincing. According to the company's own information , the click-through rate for phishing emails stands at 54% for AI-assisted campaigns, compared with just 12% for conventional ones.

With more people opening up malicious links, the effects are compounded,
hence the push to improve general security. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me
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Looking ahead, Microsoft's suggested plan for impacted organizations includes identifying users who still use SMS/voice authentication, planning a company-wide passkey rollout and keeping workers up-to-date.

"SMS and voice have served their purpose well, bringing multifactor authentication to billions of users who otherwise would have had none," Microsoft concluded, declaring that "the threat environment has evolved
beyond their capabilities." Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/microsoft-is-making-passkeys-the-default-authent ication-process-for-businesses


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