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Microsoft pays record $20M in bug bounties to researchers

By PulseAugur Editorial · [1 sources] ·

Microsoft has awarded a record $20 million in bounties to security researchers over the past year for discovering vulnerabilities. This payout, distributed to 562 researchers from 64 countries, highlights the crucial role of bug hunters in identifying and disclosing security flaws before they can be exploited. The company noted a significant increase in reports, partly attributed to the growing use of AI in security research, though skilled human researchers remain essential for validating and contextualizing these findings. AI

IMPACT Highlights the increasing role of AI in augmenting human capabilities for security research and vulnerability discovery.

RANK_REASON Record-breaking bounty payout by a major tech company. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.7]

Read on Forbes — Innovation →

AI-generated summary · Google Gemini · from 1 sources. How we write summaries →

Microsoft pays record $20M in bug bounties to researchers

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Record-breaking bounty payout by a major tech company. [lever_c_demoted from significant: ic=1 ai=0.7]
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COVERAGE [1]

  1. Forbes — Innovation TIER_1 English(EN) · Davey Winder, Senior Contributor ·

    Microsoft Has Paid A Record $20 Million For Security Vulnerabilities

    Microsoft has paid a record amount to a record number of researchers for identifying and disclosing security vulnerabilities between June 2025 and July 2026.

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