Microsoft enhances AccountGuard digital ID security and expands partnership with Yubico

Microsoft has upgraded the digital ID protections of its AccountGuard program to offer the service for people involved in politics to 31 countries around the world, now with enhanced security features.

AccountGuard is a service designed by Microsoft to protect people and companies who are particularly at risk of cyberattacks.

The offering includes various security features, including access to webinars and workshops, cybersecurity support, and warnings when Office 365 accounts are compromised.

Following the upgrade, the AccountGuard program will also offer an enhanced list of digital identity and access management (IAM) protections.

These digital ID capabilities will include multi-factor authentication (MFA) using YubiKey hardware, which may include biometrics, a single sign-on option, conditional access policies, privileged identity management (PIM), and access governance.

“In order to provide dedicated support to AccountGuard customers and to ensure they can easily onboard these new features, a team of deployment engineers will be available to help provide remote assistance and guidance,” the company said in a blog post.

The move will also see Microsoft Elite Security Partner Patriot Consulting Technology Group offer additional onboarding support, integration, and training to members for free.

Microsoft extends partnership with Yubico

As part of the same announcement, Microsoft also revealed a deepening of its partnership with Yubico, which offers biometrics with some of its access control tokens.

Now, AccountGuard customers will receive an overall total of 25,000 hardware security keys.

Microsoft specified that moving forward, all existing and new Microsoft AccountGuard customers will receive a number of free YubiKeys in proportion to the organization size, to be used on compatible computers and mobile devices.

Yubico released two new biometric security keys last November, integrating a fingerprint sensor for biometric access in line with FIDO U2F, FIDO2, and WebAuthn security standards.

Article Topics

access management  |  biometrics  |  cybersecurity  |  digital identity  |  identity management  |  Microsoft  |  multifactor authentication  |  onboarding  |  Yubico