Does Microsoft perform regular penetration testing on their own systems

Question

As per the heading, does Microsoft perform regular penetration testing on their own systems? I can't seem to find an answer to what I would have thought is a simple question and something they would surely advertise if they did?

Answer 1

Hi EJR,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Yes, Microsoft performs regular penetration testing on their systems. They consider security to be a critical aspect of their services and infrastructure. Microsoft has dedicated security teams that conduct penetration testing to identify and fix vulnerabilities within their software and hardware env's. This is part of their commitment to maintaining strong security practices and compliance with various regulatory standards, including GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO/IEC 27001.

Moreover, Microsoft encourages and supports external security researchers through their Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) and offers bug bounty programs, where security researchers are incentivized to report vulnerabilities in exchange for rewards. This external testing complements their internal efforts to secure their systems and services.

Microsoft typically doesn't detail all specifics of their internal security procedures publicly, as revealing too much could weaken their security posture, but they do provide assurance that these tests are a regular part of their security lifecycle.

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Answer 2

Yes, Microsoft does perform regular penetration testing on its own systems. While they don’t openly advertise every detail, they have a well-documented security and compliance framework that includes penetration testing as part of their broader security strategy.

Key Aspects of Microsoft's Penetration Testing Approach:

Microsoft’s Red Team Operations – Microsoft has an internal Red Team that conducts simulated cyberattacks against its infrastructure, products, and services to identify vulnerabilities.

Regular Third-Party Penetration Testing – In addition to internal testing, Microsoft works with external security firms to conduct independent penetration tests on Azure, Office 365, and other cloud services.

Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) – Security testing, including penetration testing, is integrated into the development process for all Microsoft products.

Bug Bounty Programs – Microsoft runs bug bounty programs for its platforms, rewarding security researchers who find vulnerabilities, essentially crowdsourcing penetration testing.

Compliance with Industry Standards – Microsoft follows strict security standards such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, FedRAMP, and NIST, all of which require regular security assessments, including penetration testing.

While Microsoft doesn’t publicly share every detail of its internal testing, they continuously evaluate and strengthen their security through these methods. If you're specifically looking for Microsoft's approach to 5 controls of penetration testing in Azure, they do allow customers to conduct pen tests on their own Azure resources under certain guidelines.