Microsoft has recently announced an extension for its Windows 8.1 bug bounty program, but it turns out that it also wants to make the Internet safer with help from its rivals.
Facebook and Microsoft joined forces for a new project called Internet Bug Bounty, which encourages hackers and security researchers to submit bugs for cash rewards.
The Internet Bug Bounty program will pay a minimum for $5,000 for flaws in sandboxed applications or for bugs in fundamental internet technologies such as DNS and SSL. Lower payouts are offered for spotting problems in Ruby, Python, PHP, Apache, Perl, and other software.
“Our collective safety is only possible when public security research is allowed to flourish. Some of the most critical vulnerabilities in the internet’s history have been resolved thanks to efforts of researchers fueled entirely by curiosity and altruism,” the Facebook and Microsoft said on the bounty program’s website.
“We owe these individuals an enormous debt and believe it is our duty to do everything in our power to cultivate a safe, rewarding environment for past, present, and future researchers.”
To qualify, flaws must found in code that is in widespread use, of serious or critical severity, or be an unusual or novel hack that no one has thought of as yet. Once reported and verified, software providers will have 180 days to fix the problem before any announcement is made of money paid out.
The 10-person judging panel is dominated by Microsoft and Facebook staff, but there will be input from Google’s security researcher Chris Evans, director of security engineering at Etsy Zane Lackey, and penetration tester from iSec Jesse Burns.
The contest is open to anyone in the world, except those countries under US trade embargo. There’s no age limit, but if you’re not yet a teenager then a parent or guardian will have to claim the money for you.
