Hey,
Everyone keeps saying the Windows Hello PIN is “more secure” than a normal password. But doesn’t a password usually have more characters, symbols, and overall complexity? Wouldn’t that technically make it stronger? I’m not fully convinced why a shorter PIN would be better.
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I get it why that feels counterintuitive. Recently I found my peace while searching for the answer. Lemme segregate it for you, so you can see it a bit clearly.
A password is tied to your “Microsoft” account. That means it can be used outside your device, on Outlook, OneDrive, the web, another PC, anywhere. Because it travels over the network, it’s more vulnerable to phishing or interception. Complexity matters there.
But when it comes to Windows Hello PIN, it is device-bound. It never leaves that specific machine. It’s stored securely in the TPM chip, and authentication happens locally using cryptographic keys. Even if someone somehow gets your PIN, it’s useless without that exact device. So, it somehow saves your account, or anything related to it over the network.
I’ve got both a Windows Hello PIN and a password enabled on my work laptop (multiple sign-in options). If Hexnode applies a password policy to my device, which credential does that affect, the PIN or the password? Also, if I change the Windows password locally, does that change my Microsoft account password too (since you said earlier the password is tied to the Microsoft account)?
Hello all,
Thank you for reaching out to Hexnode Connect. We really appreciate you sharing your valuable insights.
@_janet, to clarify your questions:
About linking to a Microsoft account: Zoriah’s point was almost correct; let me rephrase it for your better understanding. Your password only becomes part of your Microsoft account if the Windows login you’re using is actually a Microsoft account. If you’re on a local Windows account, then any password change stays on that device and has nothing to do with your Microsoft account online. A lot of people mix the two and it becomes a blur to differentiate between a local user account and a Microsoft account.
About Hexnode’s passcode policy: If your device has both a password and a Windows Hello PIN, the policy affects the PIN. That’s because Windows Hello for Business treats the PIN as the primary method of authentication. So if Hexnode enforces things like PIN length or complexity, those rules apply to the PIN, not to the password.
Hopefully that makes things a bit easier to understand. If anything still feels unclear, feel free to ask, always happy to help.
Best regards,
George
Hexnode UEM
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