Adobe joins Microsoft security initiative

gallery

The Microsoft Active Protections Program (MAPP) has a new member in the form of Adobe.

The company will join the MAPP in autumn this year, meaning the Flash creator can share security information such as upcoming patches and computing threats with the other 65 members of the initiative.

MAPP is designed to ensure vulnerabilities are highlighted to partners who can use the information to better protect themselves.

“Adobe has attracted increasing attention from attackers,” said Brad Arkin, senior director of product security and privacy at Adobe.

“MAPP is a great example of a tried and proven model giving an upper hand to a network of global defenders who all rally behind a shared purpose — protecting our mutual customers,” he added.

The collaboration was announced at the Black Hat USA 2010 conference, where Microsoft also announced it would be implementing a new approach of “coordinated vulnerability disclosure.”

The Redmond giant said it would report newly discovered vulnerabilities to the vendors of the product, either directly, through a coordinator, or via a private service. This would enable the vendor to respond and make fixes before information on a flaw is released to the public.

Microsoft called on the wider tech community to adopt the approach.

"Microsoft acknowledges that the constantly changing threat landscape requires a new approach to security — collaboration and shared responsibility are key as past individual efforts are no longer enough,” said Mike Reavey, director of the Microsoft Security Response Centre (MSRC).

Email to a friend

Print this page