Microsoft confirms Outlook data breach, change your password now

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Outlook data breach
Microsoft confirmed that a recent attack exposed the content of many user emails. Hackers accessed a subset of Outlook email accounts by compromising the credentials of a Microsoft Support Agent.

Last week, a Reddit user shared a screenshot of an email that was sent by Microsoft. The email warned him that  hackers managed to access some details of his account.

Microsoft claims that the attack  affected only a limited set of user accounts. Furthermore, the tech giant states that the attackers got access to just 6 % of the content of user emails.

Email address  and email subjects leaked

microsoft outlook data breach info

Microsoft says that attackers first breached its  support agent’s credentials that allowed them to access some user account information.

However, the tech giant claims that the attackers were not able to access attachments or emails.

The leaked information includes the user’s email address, subject of emails, folder names, along with the email addresses that were communicated by the specific users between January and March 2019.

Notably, Microsoft confirmed it notified a limited subset of users that  hackers also got access to wider email content.

The Redmond giant is offering additional support and guidance to the respective users. The company has not shared the total number of accounts that were compromised by the breach.


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What does it mean to you?

Meanwhile, Microsoft warns its users that they should avoid clicking on links they receive from unrecognized email addresses.

The company says that the incident can increase phishing and spam emails in your inbox. Microsoft is currently investigating the matter and it is not clear how the hackers managed to compromise the credentials of a Microsoft’s employee.

Although Microsoft claims your password details were not affected as a result of the breach.

The company is also continuously monitoring the affected accounts. Change your password as soon as possible to avoid further issues.

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