Microsoft posts $260k reward for 'blue hat' hackers

Amid recent high-profile hacking attacks on government and corporate websites, Microsoft is offering a $260,000 (P11.026 million) reward for "Blue Hat" hackers who can think of creative ways to support computer security. Microsoft launched the Blue Hat Prize contest this week to encourage "new ideas" for defensive approaches to support computer security. "As part of our commitment to a more secure computing experience, we hope to inspire security researchers to develop innovative solutions intended to address serious security threats," it said. The inaugural contest urges security researchers to design a "novel runtime mitigation technology" to prevent the exploitation of memory safety vulnerabilities. Solutions considered to be the most innovative by the Microsoft BlueHat Prize board will win the grand prize of US $200,000 (P8.482 million). A second prize of $50,000 (P2.12 million) and a third prize, an MSDN Universal subscription worth $10,000 (P424,100) are also offered. Entries must be received by email to bluehatprize@microsoft.com between August 3, 2011 to midnight Pacific Time of April 1, 2012. The winning entry will be announced at Black Hat USA 2012, Microsoft said. A separate article on TheNextWeb said the timing of the prize is "no accident" due to recent attacks by hacker groups like Anonymous and Lulz Security. "The timing of the creation of the prize is no accident, with global computer attacks growing more frequent in the public eye, and often more brazen. Lulzsec and Anonymous have, with their antics, brought hacking and insecure computing to the forefront of the mind of the average consumer," it said. — TJD, GMA News