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Microsoft recently hosted a hacking contest called Zero Day Quest, awarding $2.3 million to security researchers. This event brought together experts from over 20 countries to find security weaknesses in Microsoft's systems. They discovered nearly 700 issues, with more than 80 being high-impact problems related to cloud and AI security. The researchers focused on finding vulnerabilities like exposed credentials, server-side request forgery, and ways to access different customer accounts without permission. All testing was done safely within approved areas, making sure no customer data was ever accessed.

Benefits

The Zero Day Quest is part of Microsoft's larger plan called the Secure Future Initiative. This initiative aims to improve Microsoft's cybersecurity by finding and fixing important security flaws. By rewarding researchers, Microsoft is encouraging the discovery of critical vulnerabilities, which helps make their online services safer for everyone. They are committed to sharing these findings openly.

Use Cases

The findings from the Zero Day Quest help Microsoft identify and fix security problems in their cloud services and AI technologies. This benefits users by ensuring the platforms they rely on are more secure against potential attacks. The focus on cloud and AI security is particularly relevant as these technologies become more central to many businesses and individuals.

Additional Information

The Zero Day Quest is a key part of Microsoft's Secure Future Initiative, launched in November 2023. This initiative was created after a review board suggested Microsoft needed to significantly improve its security practices. Microsoft has committed to sharing details about critical vulnerabilities they find, even if customers don't need to take immediate action. This follows their earlier promise to pay security researchers for finding serious flaws in any of their online services.