Microsoft Will Warn Email Users About Government Hacking

mediapost.com

Microsoft will now warn email users about suspected government hacking, the technology giant announced Wednesday.

Microsoft customers, including Outlook.com email users, will now be alerted when Microsoft suspects that a government or government-backed group has attempted to hack into their email inbox.

"We will now notify you if we believe your account has been targeted or compromised by an individual or group working on behalf of a nation state," stated Scott Charney, corporate vice president of trustworthy computing at Microsoft, in a blog post on the company’s site. 

Previously, Microsoft offered email alerts about potential security breaches without identifying the likely suspect.

The policy change is likely inspired by news first reported by Reuters that Microsoft did not alert Hotmail (now Outlook.com) users of a China-backed hacking attempt in 2011.