Microsoft will upgrade 700 million of its user accounts including rolling out of an optional two-step verification to offer better security.
The two step authentication will work with Microsoft accounts including Hotmail.com, MSN.com and Outlook.com as well as SkyDrive, Skype, Office subscriptions.
The new two-step verification feature requires two pieces of information to access account, which include the preset password along with a code sent to a phone or email on file as security info.
Microsoft has made the feature available for Windows 8, any Web browser, Microsoft apps, services on iOS and Android devices.
According to the company, the customer support cannot update if the secondary security proof is lost but can be accessed through a recovery process that has a 30 day wait period before the user is able to the access to account.
In case of loss of password and the security info, the access cannot be regained, the company said in its blog.
Microsoft account group programme manager Eric Doerr said, "With this release you can choose to protect your entire account with two-step verification, regardless of what service (or device) you are using with your Microsoft account."
The feature comes with an option to not ask for security codes on the regularly used devices and sends the code again if the device is not used for 60 days.
