Verifying True Origin of Microsoft Email Notification
Also see: Books on Internet Safety and Security from Amazon
Early in 2018, I received several calls about messages identified as "Microsoft" under the heading, "Updates to our terms of use", asking whether it is a legitimate email.
Based on looking at the underlying source text and internal links, it did turn out to be a legitimate email. However, it's better to be guarded about any unsolicited communication purporting to be from Microsoft.
Most notifications from Microsoft will reach you through the notifications icon in the lower right corner of your Windows screen.
Microsoft will NOT send you notifications through your browser, and will NOT contact you by phone. However, if you have a Microsoft account, you may receive email from Microsoft, which was the case with this particular message going out to Microsoft account holders or software registrants.
In this case, the following items verified authenticity:
The message links went directly to the Microsoft Privacy Statement, Microsoft Service Agreement, and a Frequently Asked Questions document, all three located on the microsoft.com internet domain.
Also, the text links all designated Microsoft owned domains in the underlying code.
Thanks to the person relaying this question to me. It's very wise to be cautious about communications that make representations "on behalf" of Microsoft.
This particular email appeared to be directly from Microsoft to persons who have registered Microsoft accounts - typically something many of us did when we began using Windows 10 on a new or upgraded computer.
Revisions to privacy statements, services agreements and related documents are not at all unusual. At present, many companies are reviewing these statements and agreements because of public issues you may have noticed coming up in news reports about other companies.
I've reviewed the linked items myself and found nothing out of the ordinary. If you take a look at them yourself, you'll find the material to be generally organized by standard legal subject matter not too different from the kind of statements we get from our banks, utilities and communication service providers.
If you did not receive this from Microsoft, that might be because you're using Windows with a "Local" rather than "Microsoft" account. A "Local" account identifies you by name but not by email address.
It appears that this email went out "en masse". I suggest being cautious about any copy-cat messages that might get sent out from impersonators.
If you're not sure about future emails "from" Microsoft, try this:
- The message should have arrive to you in whichever email address you have on record with Microsoft, and may arrive to you through Microsoft's "Mail" app, rather than (or in addition to) your regular email program.
- Hover your mouse cursor overtop any of the links in the message
- A link address will appear in the lower left of your screen, or in a balloon alongside the cursor
- That link address should specify "microsoft.com" or "outlook.com" (or possibly "hotmail.com" or "live.com") to the immediate left of the first single forward slash that follows after the https:// in the address.
Note, all four of the domains mentioned just above are bona fide Microsoft domains.
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