Windows Hello replaced typed passwords with biometrics and PINs years ago, but a lot of users still don’t understand why a PIN is considered more secure than a password — or how the whole system avoids just becoming a weaker password by another name.
Why a Local PIN Beats a Password
A Windows Hello PIN is bound to the specific device via a Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Unlike a password, it can’t be used to sign in anywhere else, and it isn’t transmitted over the network — authentication happens locally against the TPM-backed key, which then unlocks credentials for the actual account. Stealing the PIN alone, without the physical device, gets an attacker nowhere.
Biometrics: Fingerprint and Face
Fingerprint and facial recognition data never leave the device and aren’t stored as raw images — they’re converted to a mathematical representation stored in the TPM’s secure enclave. Windows Hello’s facial recognition also requires an IR camera specifically to prevent being fooled by a printed photo.
Checking Your Own Configuration
# Check TPM status - required for Windows Hello Get-Tpm # View configured Windows Hello for Business policies Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\PassportForWork" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Windows Hello for Business
In an enterprise domain, Windows Hello for Business extends this model with certificate- or key-based authentication tied to Azure AD / Entra ID, letting organizations go fully passwordless while still meeting compliance requirements around multi-factor authentication.