Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by anyway from Microsoft's Azure Team.
If you are a security researcher or expert, today is a very good day for you.
Microsoft launched the Azure Security Lab — An environment designed to enable security researchers and experts to test and examine the security of Azure without causing danger or risk to any of Microsoft’s customers.
The main idea from this cloud-based environment is to make security researchers find potential flaws in the Azure cloud computing platform.
A group of security individuals will be invited to simulate the behavior of possible hackers within the customer-safe environment.
Isolation Capabilities
What’s interesting about the isolation capabilities which were built within the Microsoft’s Azure Security Lab is the fact that researchers and experts will be able to exploit Azure vulnerabilities — to see the actual results of an attack designed to abuse them.
As well as offering a secure testing space, the lab program will enable participating researchers to engage directly with Microsoft Azure security experts.” (Kymberlee Price) —Microsoft Security Community and Partner Engagement Manager
The individuals who will be part of the program can take part in different quarterly-based campaigns concentrated on targeted attacks and some added incentives.
Microsoft is always ensuring that its cloud is secure and safe from modern threats, and they want to make sure that the researchers will have stable incentives. — They are doubling the top rewards for finding security flaws in Azure to $40,000.
Researchers which will be invited to the Azure Security Lab “may attempt the scenario-based challenges with top awards of $300,000” — (Kymberlee Price)
In a matter of fact, Microsoft paid around 4.4M dollars in bounty rewards in the last 12 months. And that shows how much appreciation and recognition they have for the security researchers and experts.
That also shows how much Microsoft cares about fixing any security flaws related to Azure before it gets into public or in the wrong hands.