Microsoft is to strengthen its Hotmail security with the launch of two features aimed at tackling account hijacking.
The first boosts the strength of Hotmail users’ passwords; the second enables Hotmail users to report when a contact’s account has been compromised.
The reporting feature enables users to report the account is compromised by clicking the “My friend’s been hacked!” on the “Mark as” menu. The feature is also available when users mark a message as junk or move messages to the junk folder.
Microsoft will then check its own detection systems and if a compromise is confirmed, the spammer will be locked out of the account.
When the owner of the compromised Hotmail account attempts to access it, they will be directed to instructions on how to take back control of the account.
Microsoft is reported to have been working with other email providers, including Yahoo and Gmail, to receive compromise reports from Microsoft and Hotmail users.
“So now, in Hotmail, you can report any email account as compromised, and Hotmail will provide the compromise information to both Yahoo! and Gmail,” the company said in a blog post.
To make it more difficult to hijack Hotmail accounts in the first place, Microsoft will now prevent users from choosing common passwords that make accounts vulnerable to attack.
Using common passwords makes it easy for attackers to guess passwords because they are words or phrases like “ilovecats” that are shared by millions of people.
“If you’re already using a common password, you may, at some point in the future, be asked to change it to a stronger password,” said the company.
But having a strong password is just one step to protecting an email account. Users should also provide proofs such as an alternate email address, a question and secret answer and even a mobile number where Hotmail can reach the user by text.
