How can you incentivize security researchers to disclose vulnerabilities?
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Security researchers are often the ones who discover and report vulnerabilities in software, hardware, or systems. However, finding and disclosing vulnerabilities can be a risky and challenging task, especially if the affected vendors or organizations are not cooperative, transparent, or rewarding. How can you incentivize security researchers to disclose vulnerabilities in a responsible and ethical way? In this article, we will explore some of the benefits and challenges of vulnerability disclosure policies, and some of the best practices and examples of how to implement them.
Vulnerability disclosure policies (VDPs) are guidelines that define how vendors or organizations will handle reports of vulnerabilities from security researchers or the public. VDPs can specify the scope, process, expectations, and rewards of vulnerability disclosure, as well as the legal protections and ethical responsibilities of both parties. VDPs can help create a trust-based relationship between security researchers and vendors or organizations, and encourage more collaboration and communication to improve security.
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
To incentivize security researchers to disclose vulnerabilities, organizations can offer recognition, monetary rewards, or career opportunities. A vulnerability disclosure policy (VDP) outlines how an organization manages the reporting and remediation of discovered vulnerabilities. For example, a company may publish a VDP stating they provide a bug bounty for reported issues, promise no legal action for responsible disclosure, and credit the researcher in advisories.
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Ejona Preci
Advocate for Diversity in Cybersecurity | Cyber Ergonomist | Strategist | Mentor | Speaker | President - WiCyS Germany |🎙Author & Host of Cyberstar Talk Podcast. #CISSP | #CISM | #CRISC | #ITIL
Vulnerability disclosure policies (VDPs) provide a clear and easy way for security researchers to report vulnerabilities to organizations. They help to ensure that vulnerabilities are reported in a responsible manner and they contribute to building trust between organizations and the security research community.
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Gustavo Celani
💼 AppSec | Red Team 🚀 Jornada Profissão Hacker
Vulnerability disclosure policies are guidelines and processes established by organizations to define how they handle reports of security vulnerabilities in their software, hardware, or systems. Its goal is to create a structured and responsible way for security researchers, ethical hackers, and other individuals to report identified vulnerabilities to the organization so that they can be addressed and fixed.
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Vulnerability disclosure policies are important for several reasons. First, they can help vendors or organizations discover and fix vulnerabilities faster and more effectively, reducing the risk of exploitation by malicious actors. Second, they can help security researchers disclose vulnerabilities safely and legally, without fear of retaliation, lawsuits, or prosecution. Third, they can help security researchers receive recognition, feedback, or compensation for their efforts, depending on the type and level of reward offered by the vendor or organization. Fourth, they can help foster a culture of security awareness and responsibility among both parties, as well as the wider community.
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
Vulnerability disclosure policies are important because they establish clear guidelines for ethically reporting security weaknesses, thereby encouraging researchers to disclose them responsibly. Such policies help protect users by ensuring that vulnerabilities are fixed before they are exploited. For instance, a policy might detail how to securely report a finding and offer a bounty program as an incentive for researchers to report vulnerabilities.
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Ejona Preci
Advocate for Diversity in Cybersecurity | Cyber Ergonomist | Strategist | Mentor | Speaker | President - WiCyS Germany |🎙Author & Host of Cyberstar Talk Podcast. #CISSP | #CISM | #CRISC | #ITIL
Vulnerability disclosure policies facilitate the reporting of security vulnerabilities in products, software, and systems. This information allows companies to identify and address weaknesses before they can be exploited by the hackers. This, in turn, helps improve overall cybersecurity posture.
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Gustavo Celani
💼 AppSec | Red Team 🚀 Jornada Profissão Hacker
In my opinion, vulnerability disclosure policies play a crucial role in creating a more secure digital landscape by fostering collaboration, ensuring timely fixes, and building trust between organizations and the security community.
Vulnerability disclosure policies can have various benefits and challenges for both security researchers and vendors or organizations. Improved security posture and reputation, increased collaboration and innovation, enhanced customer trust and satisfaction, greater public awareness and education, and reduced legal risks and costs are some of the benefits. However, defining the scope and terms of the policy clearly and consistently, managing expectations, allocating resources to handle reports and fixes, dealing with potential conflicts or disputes, and balancing disclosure and patching timelines are some of the challenges.
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
Vulnerability disclosure policies benefit organizations by fostering proactive security postures and community trust. Challenges include managing disclosures responsibly and ensuring timely fixes. For example, a policy may offer bounties for disclosed vulnerabilities, benefiting researchers and enhancing security. However, the organization must balance transparency with the risk of unpatched vulnerabilities being exploited if disclosed publicly before a fix is available.
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Ejona Preci
Advocate for Diversity in Cybersecurity | Cyber Ergonomist | Strategist | Mentor | Speaker | President - WiCyS Germany |🎙Author & Host of Cyberstar Talk Podcast. #CISSP | #CISM | #CRISC | #ITIL
Vulnerability disclosure policies help identify and address security weaknesses, enhancing overall cybersecurity. They enable timely responses to disclosures reduce the risk of breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage and foster collaboration with security researchers and ethical hackers. On the other hand developing and maintaining an effective policy can be resource-intensive. Balancing resources for vulnerability remediation navigating legal aspects, including liability and intellectual property, can be challenging.
Vulnerability disclosure policies can vary depending on the nature and size of the vendor or organization, the type and severity of the vulnerabilities, and the preferences and capabilities of the security researchers. To create effective and fair policies, one should adopt a clear and comprehensive policy that covers the scope, process, expectations, and rewards of vulnerability disclosure. Additionally, it is important to publish and promote the policy on a visible and accessible platform such as a website or blog. Security researchers should be provided with a secure and easy way to submit reports. Acknowledging and responding to reports promptly as well as keeping researchers updated on progress is essential. Rewards for security researchers should be appropriate and consistent, such as public recognition, feedback, credits, swag or money. Vulnerabilities and fixes should be disclosed to the public in a timely manner with credit given to security researchers. Finally, responsible and coordinated disclosure should be encouraged while avoiding public shaming or legal threats against security researchers.
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Ejona Preci
Advocate for Diversity in Cybersecurity | Cyber Ergonomist | Strategist | Mentor | Speaker | President - WiCyS Germany |🎙Author & Host of Cyberstar Talk Podcast. #CISSP | #CISM | #CRISC | #ITIL
Effective vulnerability disclosure policies should be transparent, accessible, and well-defined. They should designate a clear point of contact for reporting vulnerabilities and assure reporters of legal protections. Coordinated disclosure timelines, secure reporting channels, and feedback loops are essential
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
Best practices for vulnerability disclosure policies include clear communication, acknowledging contributions, offering fair incentives, and ensuring a timely response. For example, a policy might state that researchers should privately report vulnerabilities, and in exchange, the organization will respond within a specified period, acknowledge the contribution, and possibly offer a bounty or recognition in a Hall of Fame, thereby incentivizing ethical disclosures.
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Shishir Kumar Singh
Group Head of Information Security | CSO30
Key Components of VDP Reporting Mech: Define methods for vuln reporting, providing contact or dedicated platforms. Scope of Coverage: Clearly outline covered systems & services, setting disclosure program boundaries. Expectations & Guidelines: Communicate researcher expectations, specifying vuln types & testing guidelines. Legal Protection: Ensure legal safeguards for security researchers disclosing vulns responsibly. Response & Resolution Timelines: Commit to timely ack, assessment, & resolution of reported vulns. Recognition & Incentives: Specify ack, public recognition, or financial incentives for responsible disclosures. Transparency: Provide updates on reported vulns & actions taken for enhanced transparency.
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Vulnerability disclosure policies can be found in a variety of sectors, including technology, government, education, healthcare, and finance. For example, Google's Vulnerability Reward Program offers monetary rewards of up to $31,337 for reporting vulnerabilities in Google products and services. The U.S. Department of Defense has a Vulnerability Disclosure Policy that provides legal protections and public recognition for those who report vulnerabilities in DoD websites, systems, or networks. The University of Oxford's Vulnerability Disclosure Policy gives feedback and credits for reporting vulnerabilities in the university's IT infrastructure. The NHS Digital's Vulnerability Disclosure Policy provides a secure and confidential way to report vulnerabilities in the NHS's digital services. Lastly, the Bank of England's Vulnerability Disclosure Policy offers public recognition and thanks for those who report vulnerabilities in the bank's online systems.
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
To incentivize disclosures, vulnerability disclosure policies often include acknowledgments, bounties, or hall of fame listings. For instance, a tech company may have a policy offering monetary rewards for different severity levels of vulnerabilities, recognition in security bulletins, and a promise not to pursue legal action against researchers who comply with their reporting guidelines, thus encouraging responsible vulnerability reporting.
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Ejona Preci
Advocate for Diversity in Cybersecurity | Cyber Ergonomist | Strategist | Mentor | Speaker | President - WiCyS Germany |🎙Author & Host of Cyberstar Talk Podcast. #CISSP | #CISM | #CRISC | #ITIL
Some examples of VDPs can be: Twitter. Twitter's security page offers information on their vulnerability disclosure policy and encourages responsible reporting. Intel. Intel's Product Security Center provides details on how to report security vulnerabilities and how they handle responsible disclosures.
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Yash Patel
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD Research Scholar at National Forensic Sciences University (An Institution of National Importance under Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India)
To further incentivize security researchers, consider providing exclusive access to tools, advanced product versions, or special community status. Also, maintaining transparency about the resolution process can build trust. For example, a company might offer researchers early access to software releases for testing, in addition to standard bounties, and keep them informed about how their findings contribute to security improvements, thus valuing their contributions beyond monetary incentives.
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Jason Firch, MBA
CMO @ SecureTrust Cyber | Veteran Owned | Cybersecurity Nerd
If you want to incentivize the best in the world to do good and disclose vulnerabilities from work they are passionate about then you need to pay them top dollar to incentivize them. Relying on bug bounty programs is insufficient and unreliable.
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Shishir Kumar Singh
Group Head of Information Security | CSO30
Things to consider in Incentives Framework Showcase Impact: Highlight the positive impact of researchers' contributions, emphasising how their efforts enhance cybersecurity & protect both the org & its users. Financial Incentives: Implement a fair & competitive financial incentive program, offering substantial rewards that reflect the critical nature of the disclosed vulns. Adapt to Feedback: Stay receptive to feedback from researchers, continuously refining the disclosure process based on their input, & demonstrating a commitment to improvement. Publicise Success Stories: Share success stories of responsible disclosures to showcase the org's appreciation for researchers' efforts & to inspire others to follow suit.