Basically, to come and do their worst to the cloud platform. Microsoft doubled down on Azure security at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas that kicked off this week, both literally and figuratively.
The company is encouraging more security researches to exploit Azure and get their hands on up to $40,000 for any vulnerabilities that they find with the platform as bug bounty — exactly double from the previous offering that the company launched in January this year.
Secondly, Redmond is making it easier for security researchers to aggressively test the Azure platform in a closed environment with the unveiling of the Azure Security Lab.
This can basically be termed as a sandbox environment designed to enable security professionals to hack the cloud, without actually endangering the actual customers. The idea is to make it possible for hackers to test for potential flaws in a more potent fashion.
Participating researchers can engage directly with Microsoft Azure security experts:
“The isolation of the Azure Security Lab allows us offer something new: researchers can not only research vulnerabilities in Azure, they can attempt to exploit them. Those with access to the Azure Security Lab may attempt the scenario-based challenges with top awards of $300,000.”
Microsoft has put up the details of which you can find on the Azure Bounty Program page if you have an interest or background in security.
The company also highlighted how it has issued $4.4 million in bounty rewards over the past 12 months.
Worth a mention that the Azure Security Lab is not open to public. You have to apply. But the added benefit is that accepted participants will gain access to quarterly campaigns for target scenarios with added incentives, as well as regular recognition and exclusive swag.
Sometimes, that is all what a hacker wants!
Good moves, overall.
