You know Windows 8 is destined to have some sweet password management, but turns out it’s even better than we expected. Details have emerged that Microsoft is superceding the traditional words and numbers password to let you create passwords based on photos.
The login password mechanic will work like this. You pick a photo you’re fond of that will double as your device’s lock screen. You then create your own gestures over the photo to create a password.
For example, you could tap one person’s nose, then circle another person’s head, then draw a line from one hand to another. The password will recognise not only what you do, but where you do it, and will require all components to be repeated in order to work.
It’s not completely replacing the alphanumeric password. If you fail the picture password five times you’ll need to enter the written password to continue. Similarly, it won’t be available for remote logins.
But it’s still a great enhancement of security for computers in general, and showcasing yet another reason why Windows 8 is going to be awesome.
light487
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:34 PMLooks good on paper.. but man.. how annoying is that going to be for home users who couldn’t care less about having a password at all.. hopefully passwords won’t be forced and that having multiple hidden accounts won’t affect the default login like it does with Win7.
Tim
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 3:15 PMIf you don’t care about passwords, just click three times in the same spot. It’s just as fast as clicking the user picture in old login systems.
MotorMouth
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 9:59 PMReally? This is a comment? Someone thought it was worth their time to make themselves look as stupid as this? Will wonders never cease?
lambomann007
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:34 PM…
Nick, we’ve known about this since September…
:P
Jack
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:39 PMhmm, so what happens if someone else is looking at the screen when I’m performing the “gestures” to unlock it?
Chris
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:49 PMwhat if someone’s looking at your keyboard while you type your password?
Andrew
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 3:45 PMThe concern with people looking at your screen when typing password is important when you’re doing a presentation and your screen is displayed on projector screens. (which is the password show up as * instead of the word and numbers).
Bob
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:57 PMThe lines you draw will be replaced by little asterisks. Perfectly secure.
nozlaf
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:59 PMlove this comment, comment of the year IMO
Charles
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 3:35 PMhahahah yup
Me
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 3:46 PMI would be more interested in how easy it will be to access someone elses computer with this as it uses a touchscreen, there would be lovely smudges in exactly the right spots and its only a matter of working out the order/direction. Thats how I…I mean I saw someone I know got into someone elses mobile phone…
Chinosts
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 4:01 PMYou’re an idiot….
Blake
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 10:55 AMAccording to maths, it’ll still be harder than a numeric pin like the iPhones use.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/12/19/optimizing-picture-password-security.aspx
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2011/12/16/signing-in-with-a-picture-password.aspx
Timmahh
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 4:36 PMSo long as they preserve netplwiz, I’ll be happy :)
BenDTU
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 4:43 PMNot sure if want :|
Ciaran
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:33 PMSome good features, some terrible, some customary and some not. I still think it’s another Vista in the making…
http://minionsofsarcasm.com
Gibbo McCool
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 6:40 PMSo did anyone immediately think of a more risque picture and gestures that could be used …
smurfydog
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 9:47 PMLooks like you’re the only one…
(crickets chirp… a tumbleweed plows past…)
Daz
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 7:09 PMCan’t wait to do this with porn.
Ash
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 9:49 AMIf gestures are allowed as a part of unlocking, then you could masterbate to the porn picture, and voila youre logged in and enjoying yourself at the same time!
MotorMouth
Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 10:02 PMDo people really use passwords? I’ve never bothered. It annoys the hell outta me at work and I can’t see them ever allowing anything buy alpha-numeric entries, lest we all do horrible things to a photo of our boss to log-on.
Wes
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 6:18 AMThis comment has been deemed inappropriate and has been deleted.