Microsoft Corp. has curtailed Chinese companies’ access to advance notifications about cybersecurity vulnerabilities in its technology after investigating whether a leak led to a series of hacks exploiting flaws in its SharePoint software.
The change, which occurred last month, will limit access for program participants in “countries where they’re required to report vulnerabilities to their governments,” which would include China, according to David Cuddy, a Microsoft spokesperson. The goal of the Microsoft Active Protections Program, or MAPP, is to provide security software companies around the world with early details about flaws in Microsoft products so they can provide updated protections for their customers faster.