14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft rolled out two-factor authentication for user accounts earlier this year, but the company continued work on even more security improvements without anyone knowing about this.
According to a report by LiveSide, Redmond is getting ready to introduce a new set of account security improvements that are supposed not only to make user accounts safer, but also to allow consumers to better manage their private information.
First of all, the company is planning to implement a recent account activity section that would show recent account activity, such as successful sign-ins and account recovery attempts. For each entry, Microsoft will show the IP address, the location, the date and time, platform, browser, and device of each attempt.
A brand new button called “This wasn’t me” will also be included, allowing users not only to report suspicious activities, but also to change passwords faster.
At the same time, Microsoft could also introduce new account recovery options in the form of security codes that could be used by members who forgot their passwords.
More like passwords, these security codes are likely to be generated in a separate screen, with users to be required to write them down and introduce them in a new recovery screen in case of emergency.
Last but not least, security notifications are also expected to be enhanced with new options. Users could thus be alerted whenever someone fails to log in into their accounts, with supported methods to include emails and even mobile devices.
Of course, Microsoft is yet to release an announcement on this, as work is already in progress right now, but expect more details to be provided soon.
Liveside writes that Microsoft could still implement a number of changes, but it’s pretty clear that account security has become a priority for the Redmond-based tech giant.