Microsoft asks its users to muck in with security testing

With aspirations to be an antivirus and anti-spyware vendor, Microsoft is opening up its security procedures to the outside world a little more: the Redmond giant is enlisting the help of outside testers for its security patches.

As part of Microsoft's Security Update Validation Program, the software behemoth has implemented a closed beta testing programme, to allow outsiders to trial the patches for compatibility before they roll them out further.

The teams who will get to take the sneak preview of the patches will be allowed limited access to the security updates. They'll be able to test the patches for reliability, application compatibility and stability but won't be able to take a look under the bonnet and get details about code and the vulnerabilities themselves.

Feedback from the testers is then taken into account before the patch goes out to the rest of the public.

The patches are given to a number of customers across different industries who can only use them in test environments, a Microsoft spokeswoman said, and must provide feedback to Microsoft as part of the deal. The participants also have to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The program had been trialled for a year before its formal launch, the spokeswoman added.

The Security Update Validation Program isn't the first time corporate customers have been able to check out and test Microsoft's patches before the rest of the Windows world.

The program was, however, eventually extended to the masses.