TECH NEWS

Microsoft Bug Bounty Program: $20 Million Paid to 500 Researchers

https://www.securityweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Microsoft.jpeg

Microsoft announced on Monday that over the past year it has paid out more than $20 million through its bug bounty programs.

Between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, the company received vulnerability reports through its 15 bug bounty programs from researchers across 64 countries.

Microsoft said it received 2,531 eligible reports, and 562 researchers have been awarded a total of over $20 million, with the largest single payout reaching $200,000.

[ Read:Will AI Kill the Bug Bounty Industry?]

The total amount includes $2.3 million given to participants at the Zero Day Quest hacking contest. In addition, $800,000 was paid out through new initiatives, such as those targeting vulnerabilities in third-party and open source code.

Microsoft notedthat it saw a significant increase in submission volume during the second half of the year, which it attributed to “both strong engagement from the research community and the...

Copyright of this story solely belongs to securityweek.com. To see the full text click HERE

Read more

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8WiMX9df6Y6aYWLRAkDx7E-1920-80.jpg

'No, you cannot do the game 100% without killing' — Rainbow Six Tactics game director confirms players can't do a complete no-kill playthrough since some missions require players to kill enemies that are out of range for non-lethal takedowns

* Ubisoft confirms players can't complete Rainbow Six Tactics without killing any enemies * Game director Martial Potron says, "No, you cannot do the game 100% without killing" * Some missions require players to kill enemies; however, they're incentivized to do non-lethal takedowns in others for valuable