Microsoft proposes international code of conduct for cyberspace

At a time when the web is emerging as the new front for global conflicts, increasingly raising issues about consumer privacy and security, Microsoft has proposed a set of standards for how corporations and countries should engage in these digital battles.

With a lack of consensus among governments about the red lines for digital espionage, Microsoft is attempting to leverage its position in the global tech marketplace and lead the conversation around standards for how countries should conduct cyberoperations. Microsoft is pushing for states and technology firms to team up to halt the lucrative sale of nonpublic security flaws – or "zero-day" vulnerabilities – that are used in cyberattacks or espionage operations. The company also calls on governments to stop demanding tech companies intentionally insert vulnerabilities, or so-called "backdoors," into products that would create access for intelligence and law enforcement agencies.