A guide to launch Bug Bounty program

5 min readOct 22

Introduction

Several companies employ bug bounty programs today, presumably because it allows them to entice “excellent hackers” and “security researchers” to try their hand at hacking them. Researchers from any country can initiate this task, but they must adhere to the program’s standards if they want it to be successful. The elimination of the need for costly, full-time security staff and ongoing pentesting is a win-win for businesses of all sizes. Anyone with a research background can freelance from anywhere in the world. As long as they adhere to the NDA through the appropriate program, no additional certification or permission is required. Hunters can take their time and aim when they have the opportunity.

It is entirely up to the rescuers, taking into account their expertise, the parameters of the program, etc., to decide which target they need to test. All of this testing is done in a real-world production setting, so it’s usually not possible to use automated tools on the target. This is an example of proactive security, which is proactively looking for and addressing flaws in already-running processes. With its assistance, a company may better spot and stop severe security threats. Businesses can demonstrate their good standing in the community to anyone interested, boosting confidence among their clientele and facilitating repeat business.

There is a direct correlation between bug bounty programs and the prevention of costly security breaches and the protection of sensitive customer data. The system begins by tagging potential dangers, and if researchers confirm that a certain threat is real, it proceeds to lessen the impact of that danger.

Steps that are necessary while launching a bug bounty program

All bug bounties need to take these measures to make the experience worthwhile for researchers. If certain practices are put into place or introduced, they have the potential to bring in expert researchers and provide high-quality bug reports. Let’s get into depth about them right now.