Last week, Microsoft announced plans to increase encryption on its online services. Today, the company revealed plans to offer customers who have a Microsoft Account more ways to ensure their information is not being used by others.
A Microsoft Account is used to sign into various Microsoft services, including Outlook.com, SkyDrive and Xbox Live. In a blog post, Microsoft stated that users can now view the recent activity on their account. The company stated:
As you can see from the example picture, this page displays different types of activity, including successful and unsuccessful sign-ins, the addition and deletion of security information and more. For each type of activity, we show you what kind of device and browser was used, and what location the request came from, including a handy map from our friends at Bing. If you see something suspicious, there’s an easy “This wasn’t me” button that will help you take steps to protect your account.
Microsoft Account users who get access via two-step verification can now also set up a secure recovery code, just in case they lose access to their phone number or email address. Finally, Microsoft has added a way for users to choose a location to send any notifications, whether its an email or a text message via mobile phone. Users who want more information on how to keep their Microsoft Account secure can check out a special web page with hints on how to accomplish that task.
Source: Microsoft | Image via Microsoft