March 9, 2006 3:43 PM PST

Third 'Blue Hat' hacker event at Microsoft

by Joris Evers
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Microsoft employees are getting another security reality check this week. The software maker is hosting its third "Blue Hat" event, where hackers demonstrate flaws in Microsoft's product security.

A year ago, Microsoft invited several hackers to its Redmond, Wash., headquarters for the first time. That get-together was such a success that Microsoft decided to host such events twice a year. The second Blue Hat was last fall.

"It had a huge benefit to our developers," Stephen Toulouse, a program manager in Microsoft's security unit, told CNET News.com last year. The event gives executives and developers a different look at product security, he said.

The multiday meeting of Microsoft insiders with independent researchers provides each side with a glimpse into the other's world. The goal, for Microsoft, is to improve its relationship with security researchers and find ways to develop more secure software, the company said in a statement Thursday.

Microsoft is not sharing any details about its third Blue Hat gathering. The event started Wednesday and ends Friday.

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