Users of PT Network Attack Discovery (NAD) network traffic analysis system will now be protected from exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities if discovered in Microsoft products.

Microsoft started the Microsoft Active Protections program (MAPP) in 2008. Its main purpose is to enable leading developers of information security solutions to receive information about the newly discovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft software as quickly as possible. This will allow the developers to quickly implement detection of attempts to exploit critical vulnerabilities, for which there are no security updates published yet. As a result, it will improve overall security for millions of Microsoft products users. 

MAPP includes global leaders in information security solutions development. Throughout the life of the program, 64 companies have been accepted onto it.

"We applied for MAPP in February, 2019. — says Yegor Nazarov, Head of Technology Partners Relations, Positive Technologies. "Then our application was analyzed by Microsoft experts. We had to demonstrate that PT NAD meets the MAPP criteria, and that we have a team of mature specialists experts writing rules for detecting vulnerabilities in the network traffic".

"Participation in MAPP requires well-developed security program including mature standards of internal security & threat intelligence information exchange with partners. — says Artyom Sinitsyn, Security Program Manager for CEE, Microsoft. — Positive Technologies has demonstrated its high level of expertise, so we are sure that its participation in MAPP will benefit customers all over the world".

The partnership between Microsoft and Positive Technologies will protect PT NAD users from attempted attacks using newly discovered  vulnerabilities in Microsoft programs, even if there are no security updates for those vulnerabilities yet. To ensure mutual threat intelligence data exchange and as part of Microsoft Bug Bounty program, Positive Technologies will provide Microsoft with information not only about vulnerabilities in Microsoft products, but also about attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in real world attacks.

PT Network Attack Discovery is a Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) system developed by Positive Technologies. It is used to detect attacks on the perimeter and inside the network. PT NAD identifies what is going on in the network, detects malicious activity even in encrypted traffic, and helps investigate incidents.