British police arrest two men for hacking Microsoft

British police have arrested two men they believe are part of an international group that hacked into Microsoft systems.

The two suspects - a 22-year-old Lincolnshire man and a 25-year-old from Bracknell - were arrested yesterday after their houses were searched and a number of devices seized.

The hack is alleged to have taken place between January and March this year.

Police believe the pair are part of a wider global group. They said other forces around the world - specifically in the UK and US - were undertaking similar investigations into other suspected members.

While the pair of alleged British intruders did not access any customer data, investigators are still trying to work out exactly what parts of Microsoft's network they accessed.

The men are currently in police custody and have been charged with unauthorised intrusion into networks belonging to Microsoft.

"We are still in the early stages of this investigation and will work with our partners to ensure that cyber criminals have no place to hide," British police said in a statement.