Microsoft AccountGuard

2018: Start of service

At the end of July, 2018 Microsoft started the AccountGuard service intended for information security support of political campaigns and electoral committees.

According to information from the website of the project, AccountGuard provides "additional safety and control of threats for the accounts of Microsoft belonging to participants of pre-election activity, political committees, producers of technologies for election campaigns and to their employees who can be exposed to the increased risk in anticipation of elections".

Microsoft started service for cyber defense of political campaigns and electoral commissions

It is noted that only political and electoral structures can be registered in the AccountGuard system for receiving additional cyber defense. Microsoft started the special website for participants of elections to the American Congress. At the same time it is possible to be registered only by the invitation and regardless of political party in which the politician participating in elections consists.

Users who register the accounts of Microsoft in the AccountGuard program will receive notifications in case of the cyberincidents concerning their accounts.

Before AccountGuard start the Microsoft company protected accounts of the clients from such widespread threats as a phishing, the malware and suspicious activity in accounts. Access to the personalized notifications and also recommendations and support of Microsoft for elimination of effects of cyberattacks is offered to subscribers of AccountGuard.

The initiative of AccountGuard is started against the background of suspicions of intervention of Russia and other countries in the election of the president of the USA by means of hackers. The American journalists and officials claimed that they allegedly stole correspondence of democrats later published in network and also tried to get into the electronic system of counting of votes.^[1]

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