If you have have been using an account with Microsoft Outlook email service, then you have every reason to worry about your account information and email security, this is after various reports indicated that unknown group of hackers have remotely accessed multiple Microsoft users accounts.
According to a user on reddit, the hackers compromised the company’s support portal, gaining access to email accounts on its Outlook service.
While admitting to the reports, Microsoft has started notifying some Outlook users that a group of hackers was able to access accounts for months earlier this year.
In an email being sent to affected users, Microsoft claims that apart from the content of the emails including attachments, the hackers could have possibly viewed account email addresses, folder names and subject lines of the mails sent and received.
“This unauthorized access could have allowed unauthorized parties to access and/or view information related to your email account (such as your e-mail address, folder names, the subject lines of e-mails, and the names of other e-mail addresses you communicate with), but not the content of any e-mail or attachments, between 1st January and 28th March 2019.” At this time, it is not clear how the attackers were able to compromise Microsoft emailing system or exactly how many users were affected by the data breach. The communique also does not indicate how the information obtained by the hackers was used.
“Our data indicates that account-related information (but not the content of any e-mails) could have been viewed, but Microsoft has no indication why that information was viewed or how it may have been used,”
The company through a spokesperson further adds that it has revoked the stolen login credentials and started notifying all affected customers.
“We addressed this scheme, which affected a limited subset of consumer accounts, by disabling the compromised credentials and blocking the perpetrators’ access,”
Even though the hackers weren’t able to steal login details, or any other personal information, but as a method of precaution, Microsoft is recommending that affected users reset their passwords to stay safe.
“Microsoft regrets any inconvenience caused by this issue.” The company says. “Please be assured that Microsoft takes data protection very seriously and has engaged its internal security and privacy teams in the investigation and resolution of the issue, as well as additional hardening of systems and processes to prevent such recurrence.”