Community-Based Defense: Looking Outward, Moving Forward

Two years ago, in front of a standing-room only crowd here at Black Hat, we introduced three new information sharing programs as well as the concept of Community-Based Defense. The underlying concept shared by all three programs was simple-collaboration will be key to preventing and defending against online crime going forward; no one company, individual or technology can do it alone. The call to action was bold-put aside competitive and philosophical differences and move beyond our individual boundaries to work together to help improve and protect the broader security ecosystem. The reaction-applause!
We all know Black Hat can be a tough crowd, and wearing the blue badge can at times amplify that - making the positive response really pleasant. But it wasn't altogether unexpected.  Each of the then-new programs-the Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP), Microsoft Exploitability Index and Microsoft Vulnerability Research (MSVR)-were fueled by, and designed to address, customer needs.  And recognizing the collaborative nature of two of the programs, we'd spent months getting feedback and support within the community, from customers to vendors to researchers, to get into a position to make the announcements that day. 
Today, the MSRC released its second annual progress report on those programs-"Building a Safer, More Trusted Internet through Information Sharing"-and we're excited to share the results.
Some highlights:

MAPP now has 65 members worldwide, providing protections (continue reading...)