Ethical Hackers Work with the Defense Department to Improve Cyber Security

Hackers have been hired by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to find weaknesses in its computer systems before actual criminals can use them. In cooperation with US business HackerOne, the government agency has successfully completed its first bug bounty programme.

As part of the initiative, 26 ‘ethical Hackers‘ spent 30 days infiltrating the nation’s networks in an effort to stay one step ahead of ‘bad actors’.Business owners may reach out to HackerOne’s network of ethical Hackers who have been screened for criminal history.

Amounts paid to Hackers are not disclosed by either HackerOne or the MoD.One of HackerOne’s partners, on the other hand, has just given away $50,000 (more than £36,000) for finding a critical vulnerability.When compared to how much money a single security vulnerability may cost organizations, this amount is a small drop in the bucket.According to HackerOne, the average payout given for severe vulnerabilities is $3,650 (£2,600), whereas the average bounty awarded for any vulnerability is $979 (£700).

This is a crucial step in lowering cyber risk and boosting resilience,” said Christine Maxwell, the MoD’s senior information security officer.To safeguard and defend our assets, ‘we work with the ethical hacking community’, she added.Our digital and cyber development must continue to push the limits in order to recruit employees with the necessary skills, enthusiasm, and dedication.’As one of the 26 ethical Hackers, Trevor Shingles, pointed out, there was a weakness in the system that might have been exploited by a malicious actor.