Microsoft is unveiling an aggressive plan today to combat government surveillance. Brad Smith, Microsoft’s general counsel, says the software giant shares the concerns of its own customers about government surveillance of the internet, and is planning to address them with improved encryption, legal protections, and source code transparency. In a detailed blog post, Smith labels government snooping an "advanced persistent threat," a term generally used to describe teams of hackers that coordinate cyberattacks for foreign governments.

Microsoft’s response follows recent revelations that the NSA has been secretly collecting private user data from various tech giants. The Washington Post revealed details of a program, known as MUSCULAR, that the NSA uses to tap into networks owned by Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft to obtain user information. Documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed a number of Microsoft-owned services have been targeted by the NSA, allegations Microsoft says it’s "especially alarmed" at.

SERVER-TO-SERVER ENCRYPTION PLANNED FOR END OF 2014

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