Deploy phishing-resistant authentication by user and device readiness

Microsoft recommends planning phishing-resistant passwordless authentication around user personas. Administrators, regulated users, people handling sensitive systems, and ordinary users can have different credential and recovery needs. Microsoft recommends broad adoption, but beginning with one persona and expanding through Microsoft Entra groups rather than enforcing every user at once.

The current deployment guide lists minimum native-platform readiness of Windows 10 22H2 for Windows Hello for Business, Windows 11 22H2 for the best passkey experience, macOS 13, iOS 17, and Android 14. Older platforms may need an external FIDO2 key, smart card, or cross-device credential. Microsoft recommends that users have at least two registered authentication methods and describes a portable credential, such as a passkey or security key, plus local credentials on the devices they use.

Microsoft documents Conditional Access authentication strengths as the primary enforcement mechanism and recommends platform-specific groups and policies. The guide also recommends monitoring registration, sign-ins, audit events, and help-desk volume; rollout should slow when support demand rises.

Licensing and applicability

Microsoft states that passkeys are available in all Microsoft Entra ID editions without an extra passkey license. Conditional Access enforcement generally requires eligible Microsoft Entra ID P1 or suite licensing. Verified ID identity proofing, Identity Protection, log export, and other optional components have separate licensing. Browser, application broker, operating system, VDI, RDP, third-party identity provider, security-key, Bluetooth, and mobile support varies. Preview tools must not be treated as required production dependencies.

DSE recommendation: production-safe operational steps

Inventory users by persona and build a user-device-application matrix that includes administration, mobile, remote access, VDI, and recovery scenarios.

Select approved portable and local credential types, document hardware procurement and custody, and require a second usable authentication method.

Define identity-proofing and Temporary Access Pass issuance with independent verification, limited duration, least-privileged operators, and an audit trail.

Pilot registration with trained users on every supported platform. Test lost-device, replacement-device, new-hire, and locked-out-user recovery.

Review registration and sign-in logs, application failures, user feedback, and help-desk volume before enforcement.

Enforce phishing-resistant authentication in Conditional Access by ready user-device group. Preserve emergency access and a tested rollback path.

Expand one wave at a time and review dormant, duplicated, or lost credentials as part of the normal identity lifecycle.

DSE recommends measuring successful registration and successful recovery separately. Enrollment success does not prove that every application or fallback workflow works. If a platform or critical application cannot use the intended method, document the supported alternative and owner instead of weakening the policy for the entire organization.

Official references

Plan a phishing-resistant passwordless authentication deployment — personas, device readiness, credential bootstrapping, monitoring, and enforcement waves.

How to enable passkeys (FIDO2) in Microsoft Entra ID — passkey availability, profiles, types, and enforcement configuration.