Windows Hello is a security service that allows users to sign into Windows devices through authentication biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition. Equally, users can set a PIN or enter through a FiDO2 device. With the upcoming launch of Firefox 66, users on the browser will be able to use Windows Hello to sign into Microsoft services like Office 365, Outlook.com, and OneDrive. As part of the service, Microsoft provides APIs for developers to integrate Windows Hello into their apps and services. Mozilla is the latest to embrace the authentication tool. Once Windows Hello is integrated into Firefox, users will be able to log in to compatible services with a face or fingerprint scan. This eliminates the need for password authentication and could make entering secure services more efficient. Mozilla is expected to launch Firefox 66 this spring, so the feature is not yet available. However, it is in testing. As you may expect, the integration will be limited to Windows 10 versions of Firefox and not mobile or other platform versions. The company has version 66 targeted for a March 19 release across platform, although it is beta and can be tested now.

Version 65

Mozilla will hope the next version of its browser will get off to a better start on Windows 10 than Firefox 65. Earlier this month we reported how the latest version caused HTTPS filtering issues on Windows 10 PCs. Many PC users reported seeing “Your connection is not secure” messages when trying to access popular websites. The problem seemed to be directly linked to AVG and Avast antivirus programs clashing with Firefox 65. Specifically, the error message appeared when an HTTP website was visited. This was happening on all sites, even major services. Users reported seeing ‘Certificate is not trusted because the issuer is unknown’ and that ‘The server might not be sending the inappropriate intermediate certificates’.

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