Microsoft users will now be notified if a state-sponsored attacker tries to break into their accounts, the company said in a blog post.
The announcement comes the same day as a Reuters report that Microsoft did not warn Hotmail users their email accounts had been accessed by a group associated with the Chinese government.
Users will be notified if services they access through Microsoft Account logins, including Outlook.com and OneDrive, have been breached by a government organization or hackers working for governments.
Getting a notification does not mean an account has been hacked, but that Microsoft has evidence it has been targeted by state-sponsored attackers and extra steps, like turning on two-factor authentication and changing passwords, need to be taken by users.