Alert for bug bounty hunters! Bag up to $150,000 in reward money

Bug bounty programs employ a competitive model for ethical hackers and security researchers to detect and submit bugs or vulnerabilities within an organization’s digital assets. Generally, these programs are offered by tech companies to bug bounty hunters. Now, the Singapore government has its own bug bounty program. The digital arm of the Singapore government, GovTech (Government Technology Agency) has launched a new bug bounty program last week. It offers up to $150,000 for “exceptional” reports.

GovTech has partnered with HackerOne to offer selected security researchers the opportunity to hunt for bugs in a private program. It said that the government will offer between $250 and $5,000 for bug reports. It will also allocate a bonus of $150,000 for “vulnerabilities that could cause exceptional impact on selected systems and data.” This bonus sets a benchmark with the level of bonus offered by companies like Google and Microsoft. “This signals the Singapore government’s commitment to secure critical ICT systems and sensitive personal data,” the release reads.

These bug bounty hunters and security experts will be invited to join the program by HackerOne. The company will also oversee the management and triage of bug reports. Those wishing to take part will already need to be registered on the platform and should have ‘HackerOne Clear’ status. White hats who are eligible but have not received an invite can request one through HackerOne.

To recall, the Singapore government has previously launched bug bounty programs as well. In 2018, the government launched its first bug bounty program, which was also in association with HackerOne. It focused on securing public-facing government websites via bug bounty hunters. The latest program is another effort made by the Singapore government to demonstrate its commitment to improving its data and cybersecurity. Moreover, it had signed an agreement with the US last month. The agreement was done to enhance cooperation and knowledge sharing about cyber threats targeting financial agencies.

Bug bounties have risen in popularity, with awards increasing by 83% in 2019 and another 26% in 2020. Sites like Facebook, Google, Apple and even the Pentagon are employing managed bug bounty programs to secure their sites.