Microsoft is beefing up security for Hotmail in order to curtail hijacking and phishing scams on legitimate accounts.
“These updates will help you protect your password and, in the unlikely event that a hijacker gains access to your account, provide a more secure recovery path so you will always be able to get your account back and kick the hijackers out,” John Scarrow, Microsoft’s general manager of safety services, wrote in a blog post.
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In addition to pre-existing security measures, Hotmail is adding a couple of password proofs to keep accounts from being infiltrated. Scarrow compared proofs to a set of spare keys when you’ve been locked out of your house.
Previously, users locked out of their accounts were asked to provide an alternate e-mail address or answer a personal question to prove their identities. However, “only 25 percent of people with a secret question actually remembered their answer when needed,” Scarrow wrote.
As a result, Microsoft introduced two new Hotmail account recovery options: cell phone verification and a link to a “trusted PC.” With the phone option, Microsoft will send a single-use password via text message that you can use to activate your account. With “trusted PC,” meanwhile, you can link your account to two or more personal computers.
“Then, if you ever need to regain control of your account by resetting your password, you simply need to be using your computer and we will know you are the legitimate owner,” Scarrow wrote.
As an added layer of security, making changes to your Hotmail account – like adding your cell phone number or a trusted PC – would require you to access an existing proof, like that second e-mail address. “This means that even if a hijacker steals your password, they can’t lock you out of your account or create backdoors for themselves,” Scarrow said.
Microsoft also pledged to monitor the reputations of IP addresses in order to more readily pick up on potential threats.
Microsoft rolled out an updated version of Hotmail for its 360 million users this year, finishing up earlier this month. It also incorporated Facebook chat and a partnership with professional networking site LinkedIn, and allowed for users to post updates simultaneously to all their connected networks. It also added Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for e-mail, contacts, and calendar to the iPhone.