The company strongly recommends the use of unique names and passwords.
Microsoft conducted a security risk assessment of its services and users from January to March this year. The test results were published only now; they were shocking.
According to the Microsoft Threat Research Group, tens of millions of users use the same usernames and passwords in Microsoft services. During the audit, more than 3 billion accounts were inspected, while in 44 million cases, users used the same password for different accounts.
Microsoft confirmed that many of these 3 billion credentials leaked to the Web, after which the company forcibly reset passwords and recommended the selection of new character sets to ensure the security of its data.
Microsoft notes that 30% of the same or slightly changed passwords can be cracked in just 10 attempts. That is, it is enough for attackers to gain access to one set of user data, and then use the same data to hack other accounts.
Microsoft encourages users to pay close attention to this topic and use more complex unique passwords that can prevent 99% of attacks. It is also recommended that you use unique user names for different accounts and services.
