Microsoft to start notifying victims of 'state sponsored' hacking

Company changes policy to notify users if government-related attacks take place after previously not alerting users when Hotmail accounts were hacked

Microsoft has announced that it will start notifying users it believes have been targeted by government-linked hackers, after failing to do so when Chinese authorities allegedly compromised over 1,000 Hotmail accounts.

Joining other US technology companies - including Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Twitter - Microsoft said that the change in policy was designed to help users protect their data.