Microsoft seems to have found that security researchers are vital to cybersecurity.
We are talking about security researchers who spend time discovering and reporting security bugs before others can use them for malicious purposes.
As detailed in a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post, Microsoft paid 13,7 millions dollars in rewards to 327 security researchers through 15 bug bounty programs.
The largest payment reached $ 200.000. By comparison, Microsoft paid just $ 4,4 million in the same period last year.
Microsoft continues to patch new threats and vulnerabilities in cyberspace by encouraging researchers to share their findings. In addition, Microsoft added new bug bounty programs and two new research grants for this year.
As more people were forced to work from the home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft has seen an increased engagement of security researchers and a higher volume of reports now than in previous years.
If you are interested in learning more about each of Microsoft's current bug bounty programs and research grants, you can look here.
