The company is planning to implement a new security feature for its user accounts

Apr 9, 2013 12:38 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is the only tech giant that’s yet to introduce two-factor authentication to protect its users’ accounts but, according to a new report, the Redmond-based software vendor is now working on introducing this new feature as well.

Liveside.net writes that Microsoft has several new security features under development for its Microsoft account service, including two-factor authentication that would work with mobile phones.

Basically, Microsoft is planning to add a new security layer to user accounts with the help of a security code randomly generated by a so-called Authentication app installed on handheld devices.

At this point, this mobile phone app is already available in the Windows Phone Store, even though the two-factor authentication feature is yet to be released.

“The Authenticator app generates security codes you can use to help keep your Microsoft account secure. You can add your Microsoft account to the app by scanning a barcode or by manually entering a secret key. The app implements industry-standard security code generation and may also work with other services and providers,” the app description reads.