Security has become a big concern for tech, finance, and IT companies. Hackers try to steal important information, websites, software, payment credentials, and more. They use different types of hacking techniques, such as phishing, DDoS, cookie theft, malware, password cracking, viruses, and trojans.
Nowadays, companies are aware of their hacking attempts. That’s why they do internal penetration testing, external penetration testing, wi-fi penetration testing, web application penetration testing, mobile application penetration testing, and social engineering penetration testing with authorized pentest engineers.
To find any loopholes, vulnerabilities, and bugs, big tech giants like Google, Apple, and Microsoft also start ethics testing for their products and gadgets. They run a private and public Bug Bunty program to improve their software security, security assessments, attack surface management, and software, tools, or systems vulnerabilities.
These tech companies paid millions of dollars in rewards for finding bugs in their products.
A bug bounty is a platform and deal offered by many tech companies, websites, organizations, and software developers. Where individuals can obtain recognition, rewards, and compensation for reporting bugs in a product or service.
US-based hackers lead the way, generating 19% of bug bounties, followed by India (10%), Russia (8%), China (7%), Germany (5%), and Canada (4%). The following tech companies have paid millions of dollars under bug bounty programs:
In 2023, Google’s bug bounty program awarded $10 million to 632 researchers across 68 countries for identifying security vulnerabilities, with the top reward reaching $113,337 for critical discoveries. Report a security vulnerability for Google, YouTube, Blogger, Verily, Onduo, Deepmind, and more.
Apple
Apple’s bounty program has rewarded $20 million for vulnerability reports. Offering up to $2 million for critical Lockdown Mode bypasses, typical bounties range from $5,000 to $250,000, reflecting the program’s robust security initiative.
Yahoo
Yahoo’s bug bounty program has seen significant payouts, with the highest reported being $15,000 for critical bugs. The program encourages ethical hacking and rewards researchers for uncovering system vulnerabilities.
Facebook’s Bug Bounty Program rewards researchers for reporting security vulnerabilities, ensuring the platform’s integrity and user safety. It’s a collaborative effort to identify and fix issues, enhancing Meta’s security. Suppose you have discovered a security bug in any of Meta’s technologies or programs. In that case, you can report it for the following: Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Quest, Workplace, Portal, Internet.org/Free Basics, Express, Wi-Fi, Ray-Ban, Stories, and open-source projects by Meta.
Microsoft
The tech giant awarded $13.8 million for 1,100+ vulnerability reports to 345 researchers globally between 2022 and 2023, with the top reward being $200,000, showcasing its commitment to cybersecurity and collaborative research. Reports on identity services include Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Identity, Xbox, M365, Microsoft Azure DevOps Services, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Platform, Microsoft.NET, and Microsoft AI.
Bugcrowd and HackerOne
The highest bounty paid by Bugcrowd and HackerOne was for a series of Android bugs, rewarded with $605,000. These platforms host programs offering substantial payouts for identifying critical security vulnerabilities, reflecting the high value placed on cybersecurity expertise
So if you also want to make money and get rewards, you can use your skills to discover and report certain types of vulnerabilities, bugs, and exploitation techniques.
