If you can't beat em, join em.

[I @ M]

Can this be taken as an admission that they really don't know what they are doing?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226107912614

[Speedway]

No it's a way to get research done on the cheap.
Keith.

[ameerat42]

Windows 10

[ving]

employing the enemy to do your work... novel idea

[mikew09]

I think in todays terms - they call it Partnering (outsourcing in the old days) :-)

[Kym]

No it's a way to get research done on the cheap.
Keith.

It's also quite ineffective.

Bad hackers are mostly script kiddies who do it for the lulz and lack genuine talent. These won't help M$ goals, but might be after some $$.

Then we get the commercial scammers who in general use well known weaknesses and attack vectors. Also lacking genuine talent, and no way would want to help M$.

The handful of really talented hackers who create the big new hacks. Mostly these do it for the challenge and not to be that malicious.
I doubt $$ from M$ will be a motive for this group and these are the ones M$ need to be involved.