Microsoft deployed Sender ID e-mail authentication alerts via a new safety bar in the Hotmail user interface to further protect e-mail users from malicious spam and scams.

The Hotmail safety bar is designed to alert customers to potential deceptive e-mail messages and provide more meaningful information on e-mail authentication. The alerts are available in 20 languages today, supporting more than 200 million customers worldwide.

Sender ID is the Microsoft implementation of the popular SPF authentication system. Microsoft will begin filtering messages that don’t authenticate to the junk/ bulk folder, so it is recommended to start publishing Sender ID/ SPF records as soon as possible.

More information about Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Sender ID.