Photo Illustration: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Microsoft is overhauling its entire production line to prioritize cybersecurity and incorporate recommendations from a recent government investigation, the company's top security executive said last week.
Why it matters: Microsoft has come under fire in recent months after a wave of nation-state attacks targeted the company's products, resulting in Chinese and Russian spies accessing email inboxes tied to a cabinet secretary and senior Microsoft executives.
A government board has said the incidents could've been prevented.
The bottom line: All Microsoft user accounts will soon have multi-factor authentication by default.
Driving the news: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sent a memo to employees Friday detailing the new approach, according to The Verge.
"If you're faced with the tradeoff between security and another priority, your answer is clear: Do security," Nadella wrote in the memo.
What's next: Government officials will be watching closely to see how well Microsoft's new principles are implemented.
"Of course, the proof will be in the pudding," said Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
