Microsoft has heavily criticized Google and the company's security disclosure policy after the firm publicly revealed a Windows 8.1 security flaw just days before Microsoft planned to issue a patch to kill the bug.

In a lengthy blog post, senior director of the Microsoft Security Response Center Chris Betz said that the threat landscape is becoming increasingly complex, and it is time for companies to stand together in response -- rather than stand divided when it comes to cybersecurity strategies, such as in vulnerability and threat disclosure, as well as the release of security patches and fixes.

This declaration comes after Google released details concerning a Windows 8.1 security flaw two days before Microsoft was due to issue a fix. The public disclosure concerned a bug which allows low-level users to become administrators, granting themselves elevated access to sensitive functions they should not be able to tap into. While Microsoft pointed out that valid login credentials were required to exploit this flaw, this wouldn't necessarily stop a company employee with an axe to grind causing harm to a system.