What is Bug Bounty

A Bug Bounty is a structured program where organizations reward independent security researchers for finding and responsibly disclosing security vulnerabilities in their applications, systems, or platforms.

Expanded Explanation

A Bug Bounty program allows ethical hackers and security researchers to identify and report security flaws in exchange for financial or reputational rewards. These programs are typically hosted directly by companies or facilitated through platforms like HackerOne, Bugcrowd, or Intigriti. The goal is to engage the global security community in testing real-world applications, APIs, cloud environments, and software before malicious actors can exploit any weaknesses. Bug bounty programs often have defined scopes, submission rules, and reward tiers based on the severity of findings. They provide a cost-effective and scalable way to crowdsource vulnerability discovery while fostering a proactive security culture.

Related Terms

responsible disclosure, vulnerability reporting, security researcher ethics, coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD), and exploit mitigation

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