Authentication methods
Authentication is the process of proving a user's identity, using methods such as passwords, the Microsoft Authenticator app, FIDO2 security keys, Windows Hello, and passkeys.
Microsoft Entra ID supports a range of authentication methods — passwords, the Microsoft Authenticator app, FIDO2 security keys, Windows Hello for Business, certificate-based authentication, and passkeys — that administrators control through the Authentication methods policy in the Entra admin center, enabling or disabling each method per user group. A key exam distinction is that Microsoft is consolidating method management into this policy and retiring the legacy per-user MFA settings. Phishing-resistant methods such as FIDO2, passkeys, and Windows Hello for Business resist adversary-in-the-middle attacks, making them preferred for privileged accounts and Conditional Access requirements.
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