Do you have high skill levels in programming and web development? If so, you may try yourself in bug bounty. There are no restrictions concerning age, education, gender, and nationality. The only requirement is a skill set in web and mobile technologies essential for testing security vulnerabilities and finding security bugs in software.
In other words, you should be an ethical hacker able to apply different tools to find vulnerabilities in applications that were undetected by developers and cybersecurity professionals. However, it is not a skills demonstration. In addition, bug bounty hunting brings considerable rewards.
How to start bug bounty hunting?
If you have a basic understanding of security issues and want to start bug hunting but haven’t enough experience, you may start with self-education. Begin with reading security books such as Web Application Hacker’s Handbook, and you will explore the technology of web applications and other tools to approach your targets.
One of the effective methods of getting knowledge is a combination of audio and visual learning. Right, watch tutorials or free youtube channels where security researchers and practicing bug bounty hunters share their experiences and give helpful advice.
Numerous bug bounty courses can teach in practice how to hack, cybersecurity issues, and other tools useful for hackers. Find appropriate resources for you and start.
However, be careful choosing website targets. Do not get ahead of yourself. Start with simple tasks, even if they are not highly rewarded. It will be a good practice where you are likely to gain success. Remember that companies offering compatible remunerations for finding bugs have a high-security level. In most cases hacking Microsoft or Google from the first try does not fit for beginners.
Skills essential for successful bug hunters
What about computer programs and applications that are required for penetration testing. After trying yourself in bug bounty programs, you should decide which path to choose. Are you going to build your bug bounty hunter career in Web application, Android, or iOS development testing?
In any case, you should have basic knowledge of:
- Python, JavaScript, PHP HTML
- Internet, HTTP, TCP/IP
- Command-line (Linux Os or Windows Os)
- Networking
Successful bug hunters should pay attention to OWASP Top 10. It is a globally recognized document for software developers to know more about vulnerabilities. In addition, security researchers may use cross site scripting (XSS bugs), SQL injection, Remote Code Execution, Information Disclosure, and others to test software for different vulnerabilities.
Work alone or join bug bounty platforms
Having sufficient skills and knowledge, ethical hackers may find bug bounty programs and earn bug bounties. Another way is to join bug bounty platforms, which are organizations that diagnose vulnerabilities in different companies’ products, report on them, and earn money.
If you are good in blockchain technologies, you may find yourself in, for example, web3 bug bounty hunting and hunt crypto projects.
There are hundreds of thousands of platforms that may differ from each other in some way but focus on the same idea. All of them use their resources to detect vulnerabilities of different difficulty levels. Popular platforms work hand in hand with private bug bounties to assist corporations in securing their software and fixing it. Sometimes private hunters are safe for security testing because they do not perform a lot of attacks simultaneously like platform hackers. But on the other side, platforms give more opportunities for diversified testing.
Choose a bug bounty program or platform and work freelance or full-time and get a well-paid job!
