Microsoft is going to warn you when the government tries to hack your email (MSFT)

REUTERS/Kevin Coombs

Microsoft announced Thursday that it will start alerting users of Outlook.com and other Microsoft services if it suspects governments are trying to hack their accounts.

The move is intended to combat state-sponsored attacks.

"We will now notify you if we believe your account has been targeted or compromised by an individual or group working on behalf of a nation state," Microsoft said in a blog post.

Google has had a similar feature on Gmail for a few years.

Microsoft's email services already alert users of attacks from hackers, but since state-sponsored hacks tend to be more sophisticated, Microsoft thinks it's best to give you a specific warning about it.

It appears the new alert system started after reporters at Reuters asked Microsoft why it didn't alert Hotmail users of attempted email hacks by the Chinese government. Reuters says the Chinese government was targeting the email accounts of Tibetan and Uighur groups a few years ago. (Hotmail no longer exists and has been migrated to Outlook.com.)

The alert system may not be entirely accurate though. Microsoft says you'll only see it "when the evidence reasonably suggests the attacker is state sponsored."

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