Microsoft wants its "Blue Hat" date with hackers to become a regular affair, with biannual events where outsiders demonstrate flaws in Microsoft"s product security.
In March, Microsoft invited several hackers to its Redmond, Wash., headquarters for the first time. The two-day meeting of Microsoft insiders with independent researchers provided each side with a glimpse into the other"s world. That get-together was such a success that Microsoft is planning more of the events.
"We want to try and do it twice a year," Stephen Toulouse, a program manager in Microsoft"s security unit, said in an interview. "It had a huge benefit to our developers." The event gives executives and developers a different look at product security, he said.