Bug Bounty programs are getting more utilized and attractive in time regarding their returns. Smart SaaS companies have at least one Bug Bountyprogram open to public researchers. So, what is a Bug Bounty program? It is a program that puts out a reward for valid security bugs through reporting them ethically. Bounty programs can be published for web & mobile applications, APIs, IoT, website, cloud servers, etc. It seeks to find and remove cybersecurity vulnerabilities by mobilizing hundreds of talented security researchers testing assets and discovering the bugs.
In most cases, the rewards are monetary based on the severity of the bug. Such challenge attracts security experts, ethical hackers, or anyone with the necessary skills. However, bug bounty programs are regulated within several rules and considerations. It depends on the assets each SaaS company opens to Internet or the type of cybersecurity vulnerabilities they want to find.
Contrary to the common misunderstanding, the researchers do not intend to operate a cyberattack targeting the company for their self-interest. The only thing that the researcher needs is a desktop or mobile computer, a good Internet connection, and the time required to thoroughly check for cybersecurity vulnerabilities in different scenarios.
Platform
Bugbounter is a cybersecurity services platform. With the bug bounty programs they offer, institutions can choose from hundreds of reliable cyber security testers within the company and start testing their systems immediately within a few days.
With the Bugbounter solution, companies instantly discover their open security vulnerabilities on the internet, reduce the risk of new applications, and take precautions before hackers exploit. With a bug bounty, engineering teams get better results in a much shorter time and with a lower budget. In short, the initiative discovers and confirms many possible vulnerabilities.
Vulnerabilities in the systems of SaaS companies, which have been digitized with the COVID-19 pandemic, create new opportunities for hackers. Therefore, BugBounter provides information on four current methods preferred by cyber threats.
● Common Vulnerabilities
Attackers check the most common security vulnerabilities in the system they targeted in the first stage. At this point, common vulnerabilities known to everyone become a reference point to discover similar errors hidden in the codes.
● Developer Notes with Unsolved Issues
Attackers who read the source code can find the vulnerability they are looking for here. Generally, the most easily accessible security vulnerabilities can be detected through the notes left by the software team for each other during the development process of the applications. Cyber threats, who see the “FIXME” (fix me), or “RBF” (remove before flight) tags left by the developers while examining a code, quickly find the hole they are looking for. That’s why standard tags and unremoved notes play an essential role in hijacking this bug bounty system.
● “SOS” alerts on support forums
Via this bug bounty solution, companies’ IT teams can post questions on a publicly accessible support forum using their corporate email addresses. Cyber threats are also following them closely. It identifies easy-to-hijack devices, searches support forums, and finds firmware updates posted online that contain bugs. Apart from examining firewalls to find information that could lead to an exploit, attackers can monitor the posts of members of the cybersecurity team.
● Spearfuzzing: Targeted attacks
Fuzzing is a method that takes more time to find faults and does not offer enough success. The only difference between spearfuzzing and fuzzing is that employees are included in the process. By using the knowledge of the employees to pre-determine the area that can be attacked, cyber threats can recover most of the time they spend.
Understanding the problem that compromised software can create, teams can better defend their systems by increasing the layer of protection in the most critical areas of the system.
If you would like to contact us regarding the security of your company or personal data and have further information about bug bounty hunting, you can click this link and fill out our form, and we are going to get back to you on short notice.
