I'm trying to get a clear understanding of how Windows Hello for Business (WHfB) differs from the standard Windows Hello, especially in a corporate setting. According to the Microsoft documentation, WHfB offers enterprise-level security features like device attestation, certificate-based authentication, and conditional access policies. Both options allow for logging in with biometrics or a PIN, work with on-premises Active Directory, and utilize a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). However, I'm curious about the actual benefits of device attestation. If my corporate devices are already tightly secured with Active Directory and Intune, and we've set up Entra ID password hash sync and Seamless SSO for cloud services, how does WHfB enhance our security? Setting up WHfB seems more complex, and I'm having a hard time justifying that complexity over the ease of Windows Hello, especially since we're working with legacy 2012 Active Directory controllers. Any insights would be appreciated!
1 Answer
The primary advantage of WHfB is its ability to implement Conditional Access policies. Since WHfB is FIDO2 certified, you can authenticate passwordlessly with just your laptop and biometrics or PIN. This simplicity becomes a huge benefit if you ever need to log in again when your token expires; just a quick fingerprint scan, and you’re back in! But as for complexity, setting up WHfB mainly involves Intune policies, so I'm curious what you find challenging about it?
If you’re cloud-only, WHfB is straightforward. But in an on-prem environment, having DCs older than 2016 complicates things a lot, like setting up PKI and ADFS – it can feel overwhelming. For users like us shifting from traditional password methods, Windows Hello feels like a major upgrade!