:: Deepquest ::

COMPUTER giant Microsoft launched an investigation yesterday after a mystery hacker found a way to access personal details including credit cards, phone numbers and addresses.

The discovery puts at risk sensitive information about 200 million people who have a Passport account.

A “crisis response”” operation swung into action as soon as Microsoft heard about the flaw in the software. Bosses insist that less than 200 accounts were accessed.

The Passport service, described as an “electronic wallet”, contains information such as email home addresses, mobile phone number and credit cards.

The problem centred on a function which enables account holders who forget their password to get a reminder.

But the hacker managed to decode the software and enter another address, which meant they could buy goods online using the stored credit card numbers.

Security adviser Simon Conant said: “It is very rare for this type of thing to happen.”

from [url=http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=12942356&method=full&siteid=50143&headline=HACKER%20ALERT%20AT%20MICROSOFT] The mirror[/url]