Microsoft To Warn E-Mail Users About Govt Hacking Attempts

(RTTNews) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) said it will inform users of its e-mail and cloud storage services when government-backed hackers may have targeted them.

The company noted that it is taking an additional step today. It will now notify users if it believes their account has been targeted or compromised by an individual or group working on behalf of a nation state.

"We already notify users if we believe their accounts have been targeted or compromised by a third party, and we provide guidance on measures users can take to keep their accounts secure. We're taking this additional step of specifically letting you know if we have evidence that the attacker may be "state-sponsored" because it is likely that the attack could be more sophisticated or more sustained than attacks from cybercriminals and others. These notifications do not mean that Microsoft's own systems have in any way been compromised," Corporate Vice President Scott Charney wrote in a blog post Wednesday.

The company noted that the evidence it collects in any active investigation may be sensitive, so it does not plan on providing detailed or specific information about the attackers or their methods. But when the evidence reasonably suggests the attacker is "state sponsored," we will say so.