Microsoft has really exhilarating news for the programmers and security researchers that can help them to win a minimum of $100,000. The Azure Sphere Research Challenge or The Bug Bounty Program developed by Microsoft challenges hackers (or programmers) to hack their Linux operating system, and if they succeed, the company will transfer $100,000 in their bank account.
However, the challenge doesn’t mean you have to hack into Microsoft Linux’s older OS. You have to discover vulnerabilities in a specific Linux OS, designed by Microsoft, called Azure Sphere Linux IoT OS. The operating system powers the company’s Internet-of-Things (IoT) end-to-end security platform. The challenge is reportedly an expansion of Azure Security Lab.
Microsoft believes that security is not a one-and-done event, and the company needs to stay alert from bad guys to provide lifetime and consistent security to consumers. The challenge aims to understand high-impact vulnerabilities and work accordingly to minimize future risks.
Microsoft believes the event to be a security research program instead of some Bug Bounty Event. The participants involved in the program will further receive research resources. The participants have to submit an application before May 15, 2020, compulsorily. After applying, the accepted researchers would be confirmed through email. The Azure Sphere Research Challenge will reportedly run from June 1, 2020, to August 31, 2020. The researchers (or programmers) who find the special scenarios (bugs) in the Linux IoT OS, Microsoft will pay $100,000.
If a participant can execute code either on Pluton or Secure World, then the award will be $100,000. However, the physical attacks won’t receive a single dime, but finding vulnerabilities in the cloud portion will somehow have bounty awards.
Microsoft reportedly spent around $4.4 million in Black Hat USA 2019 in Las Vegas as bug bounties for paying the researchers who discovered potential vulnerabilities. The security events help Microsoft to debug and fix the vulnerabilities before a bad guy exploit their system.