stclarke presents a comprehensive year-in-review of the Microsoft Bounty Program, showcasing $17 million in rewards, the impact of security research collaborations, and updates to Microsoft’s vulnerability reward initiatives.

Microsoft Bounty Program Year in Review: $17 Million Awarded to Security Researchers

The Microsoft Bounty Program achieved a new milestone over the past year, awarding $17 million to 344 security researchers from 59 countries, the highest total in the program’s history. Collaborating closely with the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC), these researchers have discovered and reported over a thousand potential vulnerabilities, directly strengthening Microsoft’s product security.

The Role of the Bounty Program

Microsoft’s Bounty Program is central to its proactive security approach. By incentivizing independent researchers, Microsoft gains early visibility into vulnerabilities across a broad spectrum of services including Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Windows, Edge, and Xbox. The program is structured with specific scopes, clear guidelines, and reward tiers to encourage impactful contributions.

Highlights: Zero Day Quest Live Hacking Event

In April, MSRC launched the Zero Day Quest, the largest live hacking competition Microsoft has hosted. Over 600 vulnerabilities were submitted, and $1.6 million was awarded during the event and qualifying rounds. The event specifically featured:

  • Security research on high-impact scenarios for Copilot and Cloud.
  • Capture-the-flag challenges and technical workshops.
  • AI bug hunting with Microsoft’s AI Red Team and other specialized sessions.

The next Zero Day Quest is scheduled to return annually, with new research challenges and opportunities for security researchers globally.

Bounty Program Updates

Microsoft has evolved its bounty offerings to address the latest security concerns:

  • Copilot Bounty Program: Now covers a wider range of online services, including Copilot products for WhatsApp & Telegram.
  • Identity Bounty Program: Expanded for more APIs and enterprise domains.
  • Defender Bounty Program: Now includes Microsoft Defender for Identity (MDI), Defender for Office (MDO), and Defender for Cloud Apps (MDA).
  • Microsoft 365 Bounty Program: Now covers products such as Viva Glint, Learning, and Pulse.
  • Dynamics 365 & Power Platform Program: Incorporates an AI Bounty Award category.
  • Windows Bounty Program: Expanded attack scenario awards (e.g., remote DoS, sandbox escapes).

How Awards Are Determined

Awards depend on the vulnerability’s severity, impact, and the completeness of a researcher’s submission. Priority is given to bugs that could drive meaningful improvements in platform security, with particular emphasis on rewarding actionable research in areas critical to Microsoft’s customer base.

Looking Forward

Microsoft reaffirms its commitment to supporting the security research community, continuously evolving its bounty programs to stay ahead of the threat landscape. The company expresses gratitude to its global network of contributors and encourages ongoing partnership to build a safer digital ecosystem together.

Authored by Madeline Eckert, Lynn Miyashita, Nyesha Harden – Microsoft Bounty Team

This post appeared first on “Microsoft News”. Read the entire article here