Hotmail Improves Password Security

Date: 2011-07-14 21:31:14

Ken Klein, Healthy Passwords

Today Microsoft announced two new Hotmail security features.

First, they will begin restricting common passwords such as 123456, monkey, password, and many more. According to Microsoft's Dick Craddock:

"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."

Second, they have added a new option, "My Friend's been Hacked!", to the "Mark As" Menu. When a user starts getting strange email from a friend, they simply select this option. Microsoft's system will be alerted. Microsoft has made agreements with other email providers. According to Microsoft's Dick Craddock:

"We did the work to enable other email providers like Yahoo! and Gmail to receive these compromise reports from Hotmail including those submitted by you, and those providers will now be able to use the reports in their own systems to recover hacked accounts."

These innovative steps by Microsoft are inching it towards better security. If they can add a Multi-Factor Authentication, they could be the one of the most secure webmail provider today.

Keep up the good work, Microsoft!

Category: Authentication

Subcategory: Website